Ten-time African champions Nigeria begin their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title defence against debutants Malawi at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday, with coach Justin Madugu making clear that nothing short of victory will satisfy the Super Falcons.
“Usually when you prepare for a competition, and you go for any tournament, your ultimate goal is to win. You approach every game as it comes and try as much as possible to make sure that you win all your games. For every match that we go into, the ultimate goal is to ensure that we win,” Madugu said at the pre-match press conference.
Nigeria head into the tournament in strong form, having won eight of their last nine matches across all competitions.
They wrapped up preparations with a 2-1 win over Tanzania, with captain Rasheedat Ajibade opening the scoring before Esther Okoronkwo netted the winner late in the second half.
The Super Falcons are seeking a record-extending 11th continental title, having beaten hosts Morocco 3-2 in a dramatic final to retain their crown at the previous edition.
Malawi, by contrast, arrive in Morocco on the back of five defeats in their last six matches, including a 4-0 hammering by Ghana in their final warm-up fixture.
The Scorchers are making their first-ever appearance at the tournament and have struggled for goals in the build-up, failing to score in four of their last six games.
However, they also drew with highly-rated Zambia and made short work of Angola in their final qualifying fixture for this tournament.
Nigeria are expected to be without defender Ashleigh Plumptre due to injury, but have otherwise named a strong squad with Ajibade and Okoronkwo expected to lead the attack. Malawi could rely on the threat of the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, in their forward line.
The Falcons’ preparations have not been entirely without distraction, with forward Okoronkwo taking to social media to allege that $700 was stolen from her wallet at the squad’s Marriott Hotel base in Casablanca, with several teammates also said to have been affected.
Following her comments about the incident, Okoronkwo’s Instagram page was flooded with racist messages, with several users posting monkey emojis and other abusive comments.
Despite the off-field incident, Nigeria’s focus has remained on the task ahead as she took to Instagram on Sunday to condemn the abuse while insisting the team remained focused on the tournament.
“Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. We move forward with pride, unity and determination. See you on the pitch,” Okoronkwo posted.
Following Tuesday’s opener, the Super Falcons will face Zambia and Egypt to complete their Group C campaign.