WAFCON: Madugu targets Egypt win, quarter-final spot

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Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu, has said Nigeria will go all out for victory against Egypt in their final Group C match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

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The defending champions will face the North Africans on Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, knowing that a win will guarantee their progression to the knockout stage.

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Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Madugu said the team had analysed all possible qualification scenarios but wanted to avoid relying on results from other matches.

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“We have done all the various permutations of what can get us through, and we know exactly which of the permutations can take us through. We want to have our fate in our hands and not leave it for anybody to decide for us. So, we are going straight for what we know will put us through and that we are aware of,” he said.

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Nigeria began their title defence with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi before bouncing back with a 1-0 win over Zambia despite playing most of the match with 10 players.

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With Malawi leading Group C on six points and Nigeria and Zambia on three points each, the Super Falcons need victory over Egypt to book a place in the last eight.

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A draw would only be enough if Zambia failed to beat Malawi, while defeat would eliminate the Super Falcons from the tournament.

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Madugu said the team’s focus was solely on winning the match.

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“No team prepares to lose a game. All we are going out for is to win the game and get a result that will qualify us to the next stage of the competition,” he added.

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Kick-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. Nigerian time.

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