- Nigeria will be without Tosin Demehin and Jennifer Echegini for their final WAFCON 2026 group-stage match against Egypt
- The Super Falcons beat Zambia 1-0 with 10 players in their second group game after a surprise 3-2 opening loss to Malawi
- A win against Egypt will secure Nigeria’s place in the knockout stage and keep their FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 hopes alive
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will head into their final Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 group game against Egypt short-handed after two players were ruled out due to suspension.
Nigeria’s path to this point has been far from smooth. They opened their campaign with a shock 3-2 defeat to Malawi before recovering to beat Zambia with ten players in their second outing. That result kept their qualification prospects alive heading into the final round of group fixtures.
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Their opponents, Egypt, are the only team in the group yet to collect a point. The Cleopatras were beaten 6-0 by Zambia in their opener and lost 3-1 to Malawi in their second game, as noted by NFF.
A victory for Nigeria would confirm their place in the knockout stage and keep alive their ambitions of reaching the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
Echegini, Demehin to miss Egypt clash
Defender Tosin Demehin will sit out the match after receiving a red card in Nigeria’s second group game against Zambia, with CAF confirming the ban relates to her foul on Copper Queens striker Barbra Banda.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Jennifer Echegini will also miss the Egypt fixture, having accumulated two bookings across the tournament, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.
The two absences will test the squad’s depth and put pressure on head coach Justus Madugu to reorganise ahead of a match Nigeria must win to advance.
Beyond the two confirmed absentees, captain Rasheedat Ajibade faces a different concern. Should she receive a yellow card against Egypt and Nigeria progress, she would be suspended for the first knockout-stage match, adding another layer of caution to Nigeria’s approach to the game.
The Super Falcons will be keen to secure progression with as clean a disciplinary slate as possible as the tournament moves into its decisive phase.
Chelsea Women players back Super Falcons
Legit.ng previously reported that Chelsea Women players backed Nigeria to win the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Chelsea players were asked who they think will win the trophy, and an overwhelming majority picked the defending champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng