Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, have continued to swell in numbers as preparations intensify for their upcoming international friendlies against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses in Yaoundé.
Camp now has 15 players following the arrival of Rinsola Babajide, Shukurat Oladipo, Folashade Ijamilusi and Kafayat Shittu, adding to the 11 early arrivals when the team opened camp on Wednesday.
Among those who reported earlier are captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Monday Gift, Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene, Oluwatosin Demehin and Christy Ucheibe, all of whom have begun tactical and fitness sessions under the guidance of head coach Justine Madugu.
The Cameroon fixtures were arranged after the cancellation of a proposed four-nation tournament that would have involved Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and hosts Ivory Coast. Instead, the Falcons will now face the Indomitable Lionesses in a two-match series in the Cameroonian capital, first on Saturday, February 28, and again on Tuesday, March 3.
Both sides last met in a preparatory friendly ahead of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria secured a 2-0 victory at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta. The result further underlined Nigeria’s dominance in the rivalry.
After this international window, the Falcons are expected to regroup for the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026. The Confederation of African Football has confirmed that all four semi-finalists at the tournament will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nigeria remain the most successful team in the competition’s history, boasting a record 10 titles, including their most recent triumph in Morocco last summer, where they defeated Tunisia, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and the hosts on their way to lifting the trophy.
With the continental showpiece also serving as a qualification pathway to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the friendlies against Cameroon are expected to sharpen the team’s competitive edge and provide Madugu and his squad the opportunity to rebuild cohesion ahead of their title defence in Morocco.
