Women’s Africa Cup of Nations defending champions, Nigeria, delivered a masterclass at the Stade Moulay Hassan stadium last night, overwhelming Egypt 6-2 in their final group fixture to secure second place in the standings.
The emphatic victory sets up a blockbuster WAFCON 2026 quarter-final showdown against regional rivals Cameroon this coming Sunday.
The Super Falcons established early dominance, breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute when forward Asisat Oshoala coolly converted from the penalty spot following a Video Assistant Referee review for a handball.
Momentum remained firmly with the 10-time champions as half-time approached, with substitute Gift Nyakno Monday doubling the lead in stoppage time.
Egypt managed to claw their way back into contention right before the interval when Nadine Ghazi successfully converted a penalty kick, sending the North Africans into the dressing rooms trailing 2-1.
Head coach Justine Madugu’s tactical adjustments paid immediate dividends after the restart.
Super-sub Uchenna Kanu restored Nigeria’s two-goal cushion in the 57th minute, finding the back of the net just a minute after stepping onto the pitch.
The second half turned into a high-scoring affair defined by VAR interventions.
Christy Ucheibe and captain Rasheedat Ajibade expertly dispatched back-to-back penalties in the 81st and 91st minutes respectively, sandwiching a second brilliant goal of the night by Egypt’s Ghazi.
Nigeria put the exclamation point on the performance deep into stoppage time.
Forward Joy Omewa tapped home the team’s sixth goal of the evening, celebrating her historic, maiden strike in a WAFCON tournament.
In the group’s simultaneous fixture, Zambia defeated Malawi 2-1, though Malawi still claimed top spot in the group thanks to a superior head-to-head record in a three-way tie at six points.
With the group stage concluded, the Super Falcons now pivot their complete attention to Sunday’s high-stakes knockout clash against the Indomitable Lionesses.
