The Super Falcons of Nigeria ended their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania’s Twiga Stars in their final international friendly.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade was the key figure for the nine-time African champions, scoring one goal and creating another as Nigeria secured a narrow victory in a competitive encounter.
The result gives head coach Justin Madugu and his technical team a positive outcome to take into the continental tournament, with the Super Falcons now turning their attention to the WAFCON campaign.
Nigeria took the lead through Ajibade, who finished well to put her side ahead early in the match. The captain’s goal provided the Falcons with an advantage, but Tanzania responded by finding an equaliser to ensure the contest remained closely fought.
With neither side able to establish control, the match remained finely poised as both teams looked for the goal that would settle the contest.
It was Nigeria who eventually found the breakthrough, with Ajibade again at the centre of the action. This time, the captain became the provider, setting up Esther Okoronkwo to score the decisive goal.
Okoronkwo kept her composure when the opportunity arrived and finished calmly to restore Nigeria’s lead and secure a 2-1 win for the Super Falcons.
The victory brings Nigeria’s friendly preparations to a successful conclusion and gives the team added confidence before the start of the African championship.
Ajibade’s contribution was particularly significant. After opening the scoring, she played a direct role in the winning goal, underlining her influence in attack and her importance to the team as captain.
Her performance also demonstrated the qualities Nigeria will hope she can bring to the tournament, with her creativity and attacking ability providing an important threat for the Super Falcons.
For Madugu and his coaching staff, the result represents another encouraging step as they continue to prepare the squad for the demands of the continental competition.
Nigeria will now look to carry the confidence gained from their preparations into WAFCON. The Super Falcons will enter the tournament with the ambition of reclaiming the African title, having completed their final warm-up match with a victory.
The outcome against Tanzania also ensured that the team finished its international friendly schedule on a positive note. Ajibade’s goal and assist, combined with Okoronkwo’s match-winning strike, gave Nigeria the result they wanted before the continental showpiece.
The Super Falcons’ success against the Twiga Stars was achieved in a fiercely contested match, but Nigeria ultimately did enough to claim the win.
The focus now shifts from preparation to competition as Nigeria gets ready for WAFCON. The nine-time African champions will hope the momentum generated by their successful friendly campaign can translate into strong performances when the tournament begins.
Ajibade’s leadership will be central to those hopes. Her decisive contribution against Tanzania provided a timely reminder of the attacking quality she can offer, while Okoronkwo’s winning goal ensured the Falcons completed their preparations with confidence.
With the friendly schedule now complete, Madugu and his players can concentrate fully on their pursuit of continental success. The 2-1 victory over Tanzania has given Nigeria a winning finish to their preparations and an opportunity to build on that momentum when their WAFCON campaign gets under way.
