Super Falcons Clinch WAFCON 2026 Ticket Despite Home Draw

The Super Falcons of Nigeria have successfully qualified for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), securing their spot after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Benin Republic Amazons on Tuesday evening at the Moshood Abiola Stadium. The result sealed a commanding 3-1 aggregate victory for the reigning African champions.

Nigeria's qualification was set up by a comfortable 2-0 win in the first leg played in Lomé, Togo, last Friday. In the return leg, defender Ashleigh Plumptre opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a towering header off a corner kick, netting her first-ever international goal for the Super Falcons.

The visitors, however, refused to surrender, finding an equaliser in the 61st minute through Yasminath Djibril. Despite the parity on the night, the experience and two-goal cushion from the first leg allowed Nigeria to see out the match and confirm their passage to the finals in Morocco.

The qualification extends Nigeria’s unparalleled record, as the only nation to have appeared in every edition of the WAFCON tournament since its inception.

The Super Falcons will now shift their focus to the continental showpiece in Morocco, scheduled for March 17 to April 3, 2026, where they will aim to defend their title and secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.