Ihezuo expects tougher WAFCON challenge as World Cup spot looms

Super Falcons striker Chinwendu Ihezuo has predicted a tougher challenge at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, with opponents extra motivated by World Cup qualification at stake.

Super Falcons star striker Chinwendu Ihezuo has predicted a significantly tougher challenge for Nigeria at the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. Because the tournament serves as a qualifier for the World Cup, she expects opponents to be extra motivated. However, Ihezuo remains confident in the defending champions’ ability to retain the continental trophy.

The expanded tournament format means the competition will be fiercer than ever, with 16 teams vying for continental supremacy. The four semi-finalists will earn automatic spots at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the fifth-placed team will advance to the intercontinental playoffs.

Ihezuo’s confidence is well-founded. The Super Falcons have won 10 WAFCON titles and are the most successful team in the tournament’s history. But the expanded format and the World Cup incentive mean that every team will be fighting harder than ever.

This echoes the 2022 WAFCON, when Nigeria won a dramatic final against hosts Morocco. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: Nigeria proving its dominance on the continent.

The winners: the Super Falcons, who have a chance to extend their record. The losers: the other teams, who face a formidable opponent; and the Nigerian public, which has high expectations.

Bottom Line: Ihezuo says WAFCON will be tougher this time. The Super Falcons are ready. The question is whether they can deliver.