WAFCON: Nigeria Lose to Cameroon, Miss Automatic 2027 World Cup Ticket
The Super Falcons have crashed out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after losing 1-0 to rivals Cameroon in their quarter-final match in Casablanca on Sunday.
The defeat means Nigeria have missed out on an automatic ticket to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Cameroon’s Myriam Nyadjou scored from a free kick after 19 minutes to give the Indomitable Lionesses a surprise 1-0 victory over the defending champions.
The 19-year-old struck with a rising effort that flew past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and into the corner of the net.
It was Nyadjou’s first goal of the tournament and secured Cameroon a semi-final showdown with hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday, as well as a ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Record 10-time WAFCON champions Nigeria pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages but were repeatedly denied by a series of acrobatic saves from Michaely Bihina.
The closest the Super Falcons came to levelling the score was in the third minute of added time, when Esther Okoronkwo won a race for possession with Bihina, only for her effort to trickle wide of the far post.
Shortly before the miss, Nigeria introduced six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala, who had not been sufficiently fit to start the match.
However, the Saudi-based striker was unable to make a significant impact, as Cameroon comfortably survived the final few minutes to secure only their second victory over Nigeria in 14 WAFCON meetings.
As the Namibian referee signalled full-time, Cameroon’s substitutes and coaching staff raced on to the pitch to celebrate with the Indomitable Lionesses.
Later in Rabat, debutants and giant-killers Malawi will face three-time runners-up Ghana, with the winners set to meet Algeria in the other semi-final.
If Nigeria fail to qualify for the World Cup through the play-offs, it would be the first time the Super Falcons have missed the tournament since its inception in 1991.
The Super Falcons reached the Round of 16 at the last World Cup in Australia, where they lost to England on penalties. They also defeated Cameroon to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
