WAFCON: Defending champions Super Falcons fight for survival against Zambia

Defending champions Nigeria, the Super Falcons, face a must-win situation against Zambia in their second Group C match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The pressure is immense after an unexpected 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi in their opening game.

Nigeria's path to the knockout stage is precarious. A positive result against Zambia is essential to revive their title defense hopes. Meanwhile, Zambia enters the match with high confidence, having secured an emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt, positioning them to seal qualification with another win if Malawi falters against Egypt.

Historically, Nigeria has dominated this fixture. The Super Falcons have won three of their four WAFCON encounters against Zambia, outscoring them 15-1. However, Zambia claimed a 1-0 victory in the 2022 third-place play-off, and Nigeria's recent loss to Malawi has highlighted their vulnerability.

Head coach Justin Madugu acknowledged the Malawi defeat as a wake-up call. A loss to Zambia would mark Nigeria's first-ever successive group stage defeats in WAFCON and put the defending champions on the brink of an unprecedented group-stage exit. The defeat to Malawi also ended a long-standing record, as Nigeria conceded three goals in a WAFCON match for the first time and lost to a debutant.

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Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu described Nigeria’s shock defeat to debutants Malawi as a timely wake-up call, insisting criticism over his team selection and player positioning was inevitable after a loss.