As part of preparations for the 14th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals, defending champions Nigeria will face Ghana in an international friendly in Casablanca on Saturday, ahead of the tournament’s kick-off in Morocco on Sunday.
The 10-time African champions opened camp in Casablanca, Morocco’s commercial hub, on Monday as they stepped up final preparations for their Group C opener against Malawi in Rabat on Tuesday, July 28.
Ten players had arrived at the Super Falcons’ camp in Casablanca as of Tuesday, while midfielder Toni Payne, who recently completed a move from Everton Women in England to Inter Milan Women in Italy, was expected to join the squad later on Tuesday.
With Head Coach Justine Madugu in charge, the Cup favourites headed to the Stade el Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca after lunch on Tuesday for their first training session.
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At the team’s Hotel Marriott in Casablanca are captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ucheibe, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran, midfielder Jennifer Echegini and forward Asisat Oshoala.
The friendly encounter with Ghana’s Black Queens, who lost in the final to the Super Falcons in the inaugural edition of the competition that Nigeria hosted in 1998, will also take place at the Stade el Arbi Zaouli, with kick-off set for 4pm.
After playing Malawi on 28th July, the Falcons will also tango with Zambia on Saturday, 1st August and Egypt on Wednesday, 5th August in Group C.
All four semi-finalists at the finals in Morocco will earn automatic slots at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil, with the fifth-placed team, to be decided via a playoff game, heading to an intercontinental playoff tournament early next year.
14TH WOMEN AFCON: THE GROUPS
GROUP A (Rabat): Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya
GROUP B (Casablanca): South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
GROUP C (Rabat): Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
GROUP D (Casablanca): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde
