Ucheibe says Malawi defeat shows growth in women's football

Nigeria midfielder Christy Ucheibe has said the Super Falcons’ surprising 3-2 loss to Malawi in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations shows how women’s football is improving across Africa. She did not blame Nigeria’s performance for the defeat and promised the team will do better against Zambia.

The Super Falcons, who have won the tournament 10 times, lost unexpectedly in their Group C opener in Rabat on Tuesday. The match was goalless at halftime. In the second half, Malawi’s Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga scored twice and once respectively to give their team a two-goal lead. Rasheedat Ajibade scored for Nigeria in stoppage time, but Temwa came back to score again for Malawi. Uchenna Kanu’s late goal was just a consolation.

Ucheibe, who did not play in the game, said the result shows how competitive women’s football has become in Africa. She believes this is not a sign of any serious issue within the Super Falcons.

“I’m going to say it’s football. Nothing went wrong; both teams played very well, and that’s just football for you. You lose, you win, or you draw. But either way, you bounce back.

“In the next game against Zambia, we will try our best to get through this phase so we can qualify for the World Cup and defend our title,” the Benfica midfielder said.

She also mentioned that the players and coaching staff had a quick meeting on the pitch after the match to boost the team’s spirit.

“The message was just to cheer up and keep our heads up. It’s not the end of the tournament; it’s just the beginning.

“Back in 2018, the same thing happened against South Africa, when they won the first game but came back to win the tournament,” Ucheibe said. She added that Malawi’s growth is part of a larger trend in African football.

“Every team on the continent is stepping up now. Malawi is a good team; they put up a strong fight, and so did we. Hopefully, in the next game, we will set the standard and make things right,” she said.

Nigeria needs to win against Zambia on Saturday to stay in the race for the semi-finals. The Copper Queens are coming off a strong 6-0 victory over Egypt in their first match.