Nigeria will begin their quest for a record-breaking tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title when they face Tunisia in their Group B opener at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca on Sunday (today).
The clash marks the first fixture of ‘Mission X’ – Nigeria’s ambitious campaign to reclaim continental supremacy after losing their crown to South Africa in 2022.
Coach Justine Madugu has warned his players against complacency ahead of the historic encounter, emphasising the improved standard of African women’s football.
“They are not minnows any longer as far as football is concerned in Africa. You can’t consider anybody a minnow,” Madugu told reporters on Saturday.
Looking at the results that were posted in the course of the qualifiers, I think we wouldn’t consider anyone to be a weak team. Yes, some teams could be stronger than the other, but they cannot be considered as weak teams because they also went through the qualifiers, won their matches for them to be here.”
The Super Falcons boss stressed his team’s respect for every opponent despite Nigeria’s superior pedigree in the competition.
“We are not taking anybody for granted, on the assumption that we have won all the previous games against them, and so we think it’s going to be easy. No games will be easy games,” he said.
We will approach them with all the seriousness they deserve and all the respect that all the teams deserve.”
This fixture represents only the second meeting between both nations at the WAFCON finals, with their previous encounter ending in a goalless draw during the 2008 tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
That stalemate came in Nigeria’s second group match, with the Super Falcons having drawn 1-1 with Ghana in their opener while Tunisia had suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa. Nigeria eventually progressed as group runners-up alongside South Africa, whilst Tunisia finished bottom of the group.
The Super Falcons arrive in Morocco with confidence bolstered by a decent run of form, winning three of their last five matches with notable victories over Algeria, Cameroon, and Ghana.
Tunisia, meanwhile, enter the tournament as underdogs but with ambitions of making their mark.
Tunisian head coach Kamel Saada acknowledged the difficulty of the group in an interview with CAF Online, stating, “It’s a tough group. Everyone knows the quality of Nigeria… We’ll need to be disciplined, focused, and play our best football.”
The Eagles of Carthage’s preparations have been mixed, with just two wins in their last five matches – victories over Botswana and Morocco’s U-23 team. They suffered defeats to Kenya and Morocco, whilst also being held to a goalless draw in a rematch against Kenya.
Tunisia reached the quarter-finals in their last appearance in 2022 but were eliminated by eventual winners South Africa. Their path to Morocco 2024 saw them overcome Niger 12-1 on aggregate in the first round of qualifying, before defeating Congo 6-3 on aggregate in the second round.
Forward Sabrine Ellouzi emerged as their star performer during qualification, scoring seven goals across four matches.
For Nigeria, the match presents an opportunity to assert their dominance early in Group B, which also features Algeria and Botswana. The Super Falcons boast a formidable squad anchored by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Africa’s best shot-stopper for the second consecutive year.
Tunisia will look to their all-time top scorer Mariem Houij and in-form Ellouzi to provide the cutting edge against a Nigerian defence that has shown vulnerability in recent matches.
The stakes are high for both teams, with a positive start crucial for qualification to the knockout stages. For Nigeria, it’s about maintaining their status as Africa’s powerhouse, whilst Tunisia seeks to upset the odds and gain early momentum.
