By Amaechi Agbo
With a ticket to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals at stake, defending champions Nigeria will take no prisoners when they confront neighbours and rivals Cameroon in a potentially explosive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-final clash in Casablanca on Sunday.
Both teams will meet again at this crucial stage, four years after the Super Falcons edged the Lionesses 1-0 to book their ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand, courtesy of a decisive second-half header by Rasheedat Ajibade.
Cameroon’s Lionesses have been among the Falcons’ most regular victims in the history of the Women’s AFCON, dating back to the inaugural edition in 1998, which Nigeria hosted. On that occasion, the Lionesses were thrashed 6-0 in Kaduna.
Both teams contested the finals of the 2014 and 2016 Women’s AFCON. The Lionesses were beaten in Windhoek on October 25, 2014, with Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala scoring in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory. Two years later, with Cameroon hosting the tournament, Oparanozie’s late goal settled a gritty encounter at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.
Earlier this year, the Super Falcons returned to Yaoundé for a two-match tour. The Lionesses secured a rare 1-0 victory in the first leg but were beaten 3-1 in the second, with goals from Chinwendu Ihezuo, Rinsola Babajide and Michelle Alozie, all of whom are in Casablanca for the tournament.
Last year, ahead of their successful Mission X campaign, the Falcons defeated the Lionesses 2-0 in a friendly at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
Coach Justin Madugu may retain the squad that scored six goals against Egypt in their final Group C match in Rabat on Wednesday, with veteran forward Asisat Oshoala a possible starter after a series of impressive goal-scoring performances in Morocco.
Her early strike proved decisive against the resilient Zambians in Nigeria’s second match, while her penalty set the Falcons on their way to victory over the Cleopatras. The highly decorated forward also scored twice in the two friendly matches against Senegal in Ikenne-Remo ahead of the tournament.
Madugu, who will welcome back defender Tosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini after both missed the victory over Egypt through suspension, said: “Our objective remains picking the World Cup ticket and then going ahead to retain the trophy. Nothing has changed.”
Sunday’s clash will kick off at 6 p.m. at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca, the venue where the Falcons played most of their matches during their successful Mission X campaign a year ago.
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