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BBC News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Evrione wan make dis title come back' - Nigeria eye 10th Wafcon win
Nigeria na ogbonge team for continental football as dem don be record nine-time Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions. Di Super Falcons don gbab 48 wins from 61 games across 12 editions of di finals since 1998 but di team ogbonge winning streak don fade recently even though dem still be di top ranked side for Africa. Afta dem fall short for 2022, wey make dem face semi-final defeat, di Super Falcons dey enta Morocco dis month wit unfinished business. Di for now head coach, Justin Madugu wey take ova from Randy Waldrum for September afta dem comot from di 2024 Olympic Games, e dey confident say di West Africans, dey sure say di West Africans fit reclaim dia crown. Madugu tell BBC Sport Africa, "Wit di potential wey dey for di kontri, I fit tell you say we dey ready." "Our goal na to win di trophy and carry am come back home." Madugu bin dey work as Waldrum assistant bifor and don name squad wey get combination of youth and experience. Asisat Oshoala, wey be di six time African women player of di year, four-time Wafcon winner Francisca Ordega and Chiamaka Nnadozie, wey dem call di continent best goalkeeper twice, na im dey name for di squad wey go play for di delayed 2024 competition. Madugu say, "as at now, na we be di number one for Africa". "Apart from dat, we don win dis tournament plenty times and we understand di hopes and expectations wey dey ground." But almost half of di players from 2022, no go dey di tean dis time and dat include di former captain Desire Oparanozie and Madugu gree say yes, im squad na "work in progress". Nigeria lose three matches for di last tournament, dem lose to di pipo wey end up to win South Africa, Morocco and Zambia nad go down to fourth place finish, wey mark dia worst Wafcon performance. Na sad reminder say di rest of Africa don catch up. A legacy under pressure Di Super Falcons' golden era go back to 1991 wen Wafcon wey dat time dem dey call di African Women Championship - bin first dey introduced. Nigeria win dat first edition- and den dem win seven of di next eight tournaments. Dia ninth title happun for 2018 wen dem sama South Africa 4-3 on penalties afta goalles draw afta extra time. Experienced forward Ordega wey just come back to di squad afta ova one year out, believe say di West Africans get di right blend wey e take to succeed for Morocco. Di 31 year old tell BBC Sport Africa, "evrione wan dis title to come back", "Most of dis girls neva play (Wafcon) bifor and I tink dem really wan win. Evribodi wan make name for demselves". Nigeria don brand dia bid to win di tenth one for di finals as 'Mission X', wit Rasheedat Ajibade wey be one of di joint top scorers for di 2022 tournament wey dey captiain di side. But di midfielder dey reason say e go meen ogbonge work for her side claim back dia continental crown. Ajibade admit say, "even wit di talent for our team, we neva get much time to bond. Di small time wey we get now, we hope say we fit pull out sometin". Nigeria go start dia bid wit group stage matches against Tunisia, Botswana and Algeria. Preparations for di tournament meet di Super Falcons as dem win dia friendly matches against Algeria and Cameroon bifor dem get goalless draw agaisnt Portugal for Lisbon and 3-1 victory ova Ghana. Kasala go spoil di team shine? While Nigeria players dey used to dey fight hard ofr field, but most of di strongest kasala from dem na for off di field. Recently, gbas-gbos ova unpaid bonuses, poor travel arrangements and lack of support from di Nigeria Football Federation don scata camps, spoil relationships and make headlines for all di wrong reasons. Even wit ogbonge performance for di 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup wia dem reach di round of 16 and carry finalists England go penaly shootout, di team go back house to face unfinished administrative wahala. Nnadozie, Nigeria first choice goalkeeper and di breakout star from dat World Cup tok about di mental palava to dey constantly dey fight for two fronts. Di 24 year old wey recently sign wit Brighton afta she comot French club Paris FC, tok say, "e leave us to do wetin we sabi how to do wella". "We go go Morocco to work hard and try bring back di trophy to Nigeria". Michelle Alozie, wey dey play for Houston Dash for di USA National Women SOccer League (NWSL) gree wit wetin Nnadozie outlook. Di 28 year old forward tok say, "adversity dey make us stronger, bring us closer togeda and help us fight for each oda on di field and off am. "Obviously we bin dey very disappointed for di last Wafcon and we wan do di best for di team, for our kontri." But some fans dey fear say decorated names like Oshoala and Ordega fit don pass dia prime and suppose make room for fresh legs for di current set-up. Oshoala for instance neva score for 11 NWSL outings for Bay FC dis season even though she manage to score against Ghana for di team last warm up match. Madugu insist say, "Asisat na jewel for Nigerian football, you no fit discount her accomplishment and relevance. "For men, dem go say di younger id beta. But wit women di psychology dey differnet. Di older, di beta. "Wen you check some of di top women football kotris like id USA and Germany, dia best players na di more experienced ones." Victory for Morocco no go just be return to di summit of African football, for millions of Nigerians, na one of di rare times wey unity go dey bicos of national pride. Nigeria Wafcon 2024 group fixtures Sunday, 6 July: Nigeria vs Tunisia (16:00 GMT) Thursday, 10 July: Nigeria vs Botswana (19:00 GMT) Sunday, 13 July: Nigeria v Algeria (19:00 GMT)
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Everyone wants this title back' - Nigeria eye 10th Wafcon win
As record nine-time Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions, Nigeria's historic dominance of continental football is Super Falcons have racked up 48 wins from 61 games across 12 editions of the finals since 1998, but the team's aura of invincibility has faded in recent years despite remaining the top-ranked side in falling short in 2022, enduring the heartbreak of a semi-final defeat, the Super Falcons return to Morocco this month with unfinished head coach Justin Madugu, who took over from Randy Waldrum in September following a meek exit from the 2024 Olympic Games, is confident the West Africans can reclaim their crown."Looking at the potential that abounds in the country, I can tell you we are ready," Madugu told BBC Sport Africa."Our objective is to win the trophy and come back to Nigeria with it." Madugu previously served as Waldrum's assistant and has named a squad containing a blend of youth and Oshoala, the six-time African women's player of the year, four-time Wafcon winner Francisca Ordega and Chiamaka Nnadozie, twice named the continent's best goalkeeper, are all included for the delayed 2024 tournament."Currently we are rated as number one in Africa," Madugu said."Aside from that, we have won this tournament several times and we are mindful of the aspirations and expectations."Yet almost half of the players from 2022 are not involved this time, including former captain Desire Oparanozie, and Madugu accepts his squad is a "work in progress".Nigeria lost three matches at the last tournament - to eventual champions South Africa, Morocco and Zambia - and slumped to a fourth-place finish, matching their worst ever Wafcon was a sobering reminder that the rest of Africa has caught up. A legacy under pressure The Super Falcons' golden era stretches back to 1991 when Wafcon - then called the African Women's Championship - was first won that inaugural edition - and seven of the next eight tournaments. Their ninth title came in 2018, when they beat South Africa 4-3 on penalties following a goalless draw after extra forward Ordega, who has returned to the squad after more than a year out, believes the West Africans have the right blend to succeed in Morocco."Everyone wants this title back," the 31-year-old told BBC Sport Africa."Most of these girls have not played (Wafcon) before and I think they really want to win. Everybody wants to make a name for themselves."Nigeria have branded their bid for a tenth triumph at the finals as 'Mission X', with Rasheedat Ajibade, who was one of the joint top scorers at the 2022 tournament, captaining the the midfielder believes it will require intense work for her side to reclaim their continental crown."Despite the talent in our team, we haven't had much time to bond," Ajibade admitted."The little time we have now, we hope we can pull out something."Nigeria will begin their bid with group stage matches against Tunisia, Botswana and for the tournament saw the Super Falcons win friendly matches against Algeria and Cameroon, before a goalless draw against Portugal in Lisbon and a 3-1 victory over Ghana. Will controversies hold back the side? While Nigeria's players are used to fighting hard on the field, their fiercest battles often come off recent years disputes over unpaid bonuses, poor travel arrangements and a lack of support from the Nigeria Football Federation have disrupted camps, strained relationships and made headlines for all the wrong delivering an impressive performance at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, where they reached the round of 16 and took eventual finalists England to a penalty shootout, the team returned home to unresolved administrative Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper and breakout star of that World Cup, described the mental toll of constantly having to fight on two fronts."It's left to us to do what we know how to do best", said the 24-year-old who recently signed for Brighton after her exit from French club Paris FC. "We'll go to Morocco to work hard and try to bring back the trophy to Nigeria."Michelle Alozie, who plays for Houston Dash in the USA's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), shares Nnadozie's outlook."Adversity makes us stronger, brings us closer together and helps us fight for each other on and off the field," the 28-year-old forward said."Obviously, we were really disappointed in the last Wafcon and we want to do the best for the team, for our country."However, some fans are concerned that decorated names such as Oshoala and Ordega may have passed their prime and should perhaps make room for fresh legs in the current for example, has failed to score in 11 NWSL outings for Bay FC this season - although she did find the back of the net against Ghana in the squad's final warm-up match."Asisat is a jewel to Nigerian football, you cannot discount her accomplishments and relevance," Madugu insisted."For the men they say the younger, the better. But with the women the psychology is different. The older, the better."When you check some of the top women's football nations like the USA and Germany, their best players are the more experienced ones."Victory in Morocco would not just be a return to the summit of African football, for millions of Nigerians it would be a rare unifying moment of national pride. Nigeria's Wafcon 2024 group fixtures Sunday, 6 July: Nigeria vs Tunisia (16:00 GMT)Thursday, 10 July: Nigeria vs Botswana (19:00 GMT)Sunday, 13 July: Nigeria v Algeria (19:00 GMT)
