Nigeria, the reigning holders, will face Ghana in a friendly ahead of the 14th edition of the Women Africa Cup of Nations, with the tournament starting in Morocco on Sunday. The Super Falcons are set to play the Black Queens in Casablanca on Saturday as part of their final preparations.
Quick facts
- Nigeria will host Ghana in a friendly in Casablanca on Saturday.
- The Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco begin on Sunday.
- Nigeria began camp in Casablanca on Monday, ahead of their Group C opener.
- Super Falcons’ first competitive match is against Malawi in Rabat on Tuesday, 28 July.
- Kick-off for the friendly with Ghana is scheduled for 4pm at Stade el Arbi Zaouli.
- Nigeria’s Group C also includes Zambia, Egypt and Malawi.
- Finishing in the top four at the finals guarantees qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
- The fifth-place team will be determined via a playoff and then enter an intercontinental playoff tournament early next year.
Nigeria opened their camp in Casablanca on Monday, with the squad using the industrial and commercial hub as their base while final preparations were put in place. Their first match at the finals is scheduled for Tuesday, 28 July, when they take on Malawi in Rabat as they begin Group C action.
By Tuesday, a group of 10 players had arrived at the Super Falcons’ hotel in Casablanca. Midfielder Toni Payne, recently signed by Inter Milan Women from Everton Ladies, was expected to join the group later on Tuesday.
Head coach Justine Madugu leads the Cup favourites, who moved to the Stade el Arbi Zaouli for their opening training session after lunch on Tuesday. The session marked the start of a more intensive build-up as they prepare to begin their campaign against Malawi.
At the Hotel Marriott in Casablanca, the squad includes captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, and defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ucheibe, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran. Midfield options are led by Jennifer Echegini, while Asisat Oshoala represents the forward line.
The friendly with Ghana’s Black Queens will also be staged at Stade el Arbi Zaouli, with kick-off set for 4pm. Ghana will arrive with history on the line, having finished runners-up to Nigeria in the final of the inaugural competition Nigeria hosted in 1998.
Following the Malawi game on 28 July, Nigeria’s Group C programme continues on Saturday, 1 August against Zambia, before they face Egypt on Wednesday, 5 August. Those fixtures shape the Super Falcons’ route through a group that also includes Malawi.
At the Morocco finals, the four teams that reach the semi-finals will secure automatic places at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The squad that finishes fifth will not qualify directly; instead, it will be decided through a playoff, with the winner then advancing to an intercontinental playoff tournament early next year.
Group stage draw
GROUP A (Rabat): Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
GROUP B (Casablanca): South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
GROUP C (Rabat): Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
GROUP D (Casablanca): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
