Nigeria’s Super Falcons resume competitive action today with sharply contrasting memories of Morocco still fresh in their minds.
In July 2025, Nigeria overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat the host nation 3-2 and claim a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations crown. Jennifer Echegini scored the decisive late goal in a comeback that underlined the side’s character. Just over a year later, however, the Falcons’ return to Morocco ended in disappointment as Cameroon beat them 1-0 in the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals. South Africa subsequently denied Nigeria a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning their play-off 2-1.
Those opposing outcomes give added weight to the upcoming Olympic qualifying assignment. Nigeria meet Comoros at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on October 9 and 13 in the second qualifying round for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Although Comoros are officially the home side for today’s opening match, both legs are being staged in Ikenne because they do not have a CAF-approved stadium.
The Falcons enter the tie as overwhelming favourites, with their deeper pool of players, greater experience and home familiarity all in their favour. But progression alone will not be enough. Eguavoen has been tasked with restoring belief, evaluating prospects for the future and helping the Nigeria Football Federation gain a better understanding of the group that will eventually be handed to its next full-time manager.
The 2026 WAFCON exit remains central to that task. Nigeria began the tournament with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi before responding against Zambia and reaching the last eight with a 6-2 victory over Egypt. Although the team had shown resilience, it had also shipped five goals before the Cameroon match, already its highest concession total in a single WAFCON campaign.
Cameroon took the lead through Myriam Maéva Nyadjou in the 19th minute. Nigeria had opportunities to draw level, with Echegini forcing a save, Uchenna Kanu seeing a strong header stopped and Esther Okoronkwo narrowly missing late in the contest. Cameroon nevertheless protected their advantage, leaving Nigeria outside the semi-finals of a centralised WAFCON for the first time.
The reaction followed quickly. Justin Madugu, who stepped in after Randy Waldrum departed in 2024 and guided the Falcons to the 2025 continental title, was relieved of his duties alongside his technical team after the tournament. In early September, the NFF announced Eguavoen as his replacement for the immediate fixtures.
The setback calls for a realistic assessment. Nigeria have collected 10 African championships and appeared at every Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991. That history carries considerable weight, but it offers no guarantee in the next game. Malawi and Cameroon demonstrated that opponents can expose defensive mistakes and force the Falcons to earn every opening. The response in Ikenne must feature greater defensive discipline as well as the attacking threat expected from Nigeria.
There is also a warning in the team’s recent Olympic experience. Qualification for Paris 2024 ended a 16-year wait to return to the women’s football tournament, but Nigeria lost all three group-stage matches against Brazil, Spain and Japan. Echegini scored the side’s only goal in France. Securing a Los Angeles berth would represent progress, but Nigeria’s wider ambition must be to arrive there ready to challenge opponents rather than simply take part.
Eguavoen begins that rebuilding process while the federation continues its search for a permanent head coach. The former Super Eagles player, who won Africa Cup of Nations bronze in 2006, is working alongside Christopher Danjuma, coach of Nasarawa Amazons and the man who led the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Former Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf, who featured at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, is another assistant. Olatunji Baruwa serves as goalkeeper coach and Brenda Shima is the team’s media officer. Danjuma’s knowledge of the women’s game and Yusuf’s experience in the national colours could prove valuable during a limited international camp.
The NFF has previously relied successfully on an interim arrangement. Madugu initially assumed control on a temporary basis after Waldrum’s exit before leading Nigeria to the 2025 WAFCON title. Eguavoen’s mandate is more restricted, however, as his appointment covers only the two Comoros games. Regardless of the outcome over the coming week, the federation still needs to determine who will lead the Falcons through the more demanding stages ahead.
Withdrawals have added to the challenge. Eguavoen called up 28 players, who assembled in Ijebu-Ode on October 3, but Asisat Oshoala, Ashley Plumptre and Oluwatosin Demehin will not be available. Oshoala’s scoring record and experience, Plumptre’s defensive influence and Demehin’s potential each leave separate gaps in the squad.
Eguavoen said the replacements had the ability and experience needed to make an important contribution against Comoros. He added that the players had settled well into camp and were concentrating on delivering two convincing displays.
The absences can also create openings, provided the incoming players receive clear responsibilities. The Comoros matches offer the coaching team a chance to study defensive partnerships, establish which midfield combinations can control matches and identify players capable of scoring when a leading name is missing. Such findings may become vital later in a knockout route where injuries and withdrawals can again alter the available group.
Osinachi Ohale’s retirement from international football makes the defensive review even more urgent. During 16 years with Nigeria, she played at four World Cups, won five WAFCON titles and made 86 senior appearances, as recorded by CAF. Her exit takes away a defender accustomed to managing high-pressure tournament situations and directing those around her. Nigeria now need to form a reliable back line without one of its most experienced figures.
Eguavoen’s squad combines established internationals with players attempting to secure a more permanent role. Chiamaka Nnadozie brings authority in goal, while captain Rasheedat Ajibade heads an attacking group that includes Kanu, Gift Monday, Folashade Ijamilusi and Joy Omewa. Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne and Echegini provide experienced midfield choices. The NFF list also includes defenders Farida Abdulwahab, Tumininu Adeshina, Shukurat Oladipo and Glory Ogbonna; midfielders Favour Omenazu and Suliat Abideen; and attackers Shakirat Moshood, Blessing Nkor and Janet Akekoromowei. Belarus-based Blessing Okpe, brought in late, was still expected to join the camp when the federation last issued an update.
Ajibade’s role as captain will be significant. She belongs to a core of players who have lived through the frustration of Paris, the WAFCON victory in 2025 and the Cameroon defeat. Her task is to help the younger members settle into the side while ensuring recent disappointments do not burden the team.
Echegini has also provided repeated evidence that Nigeria should place her in dangerous attacking areas more often. She struck the winning goal in the 2025 WAFCON final and scored the Falcons’ sole goal at Paris 2024. If Nigeria can consistently find her in advanced positions while giving the forward line more support, the team will avoid relying too heavily on a single attacking method.
Comoros should not be underestimated. They reached this round after eliminating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate, although Nigeria will represent a much tougher test. The Falcons entered at this stage after receiving a bye as one of the competition’s three highest-ranked teams, reflecting their status on the continent. Still, the tie must be decided across both legs, and a controlled performance in the first meeting would leave Nigeria well placed for Tuesday’s return game.
The route becomes considerably more difficult after Comoros. Nigeria must negotiate four two-leg rounds to claim one of Africa’s two Olympic qualification places. The third round is scheduled from February 23 to March 6, 2027, and would pit the Falcons against either DR Congo or Morocco. The final round is set for November 23 to December 4, 2027. That schedule gives Eguavoen every reason to judge more than the score over the next week. A compact defence, a midfield capable of shielding it and an attack built on collective chance creation will be essential once the level of opposition rises.
The NFF must make effective use of the same window. A caretaker can guide the side through October, but the eventual permanent coach requires sufficient time to assess the group, confront the WAFCON shortcomings and prepare for the next qualifiers. Nigeria showed its quality against England at the 2023 World Cup and against Morocco in the 2025 WAFCON final. The defeats in Paris and Casablanca, though, made clear where the team must improve.
Today’s contest will not answer every question surrounding the Super Falcons, but it can indicate whether they are confronting those issues with the necessary seriousness. Eguavoen’s team must first get past Comoros. Nigeria’s bigger objective is to turn an expected qualification result into the first step toward a side equipped for the much sterner tests on the journey to Los Angeles.
