Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a commanding 6-2 victory over Egypt in their final Group C match.
The win saw the nine-time African champions finish second in the group behind Malawi, setting up a quarter-final showdown with arch-rivals Cameroon.
Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe and Rasheedat Ajibade each converted a penalty, while Gift Monday, Uchenna Kanu and Joy Omewa also found the back of the net for Nigeria, who held a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Egypt’s Nadin Ghazy scored both of her side’s goals, including one from the penalty spot, as the North Africans ended the group stage without a point.
Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi all finished the group on six points, but CAF’s head-to-head rule was used to separate the teams instead of overall goal difference.
That saw Malawi top the group, Nigeria finish second and Zambia drop to third despite winning two of their three matches.
Zambia had beaten Malawi 2-1, with Barbra Banda opening the scoring after just two minutes before Prisca Chilufya doubled the lead. However, Tabitha Chawinga’s second-half goal for Malawi proved decisive in the head-to-head calculations, helping the Southern African side finish top of the group.
Nigeria will now face Cameroon, who secured top spot in Group D after victories over Ghana and Mali. The quarter-final clash is scheduled for Sunday.
The winner of the encounter will secure a place in the semi-finals and automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Elsewhere, Malawi will face either Ghana or Mali in the quarter-finals, while hosts Morocco will take on South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire will battle Algeria on Saturday.
