Nigeria’s Super Falcons have lost their chance of securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-final on Sunday.
Myriam Maéva Nyadjou Wamen scored the only goal of the match in the 19th minute, sending Cameroon into the semi-finals and ending Nigeria’s title defence.
The Super Falcons created several opportunities in search of an equaliser but were unable to find a way past Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who produced a series of important saves to preserve her side’s advantage.
Nigeria’s defeat means the team will not secure one of Africa’s direct qualification places for the 2027 Women’s World Cup through a WAFCON semi-final berth.
The Super Falcons, however, remain in contention for a place at the tournament in Brazil through the continental play-off route. As a defeated quarter-finalist, Nigeria will join the other teams eliminated at the same stage in a further qualification contest.
The revised route gives the Super Falcons another opportunity to pursue a World Cup place, although their defeat by Cameroon means they must now take the more difficult path rather than qualifying automatically through the WAFCON semi-finals.
Cameroon, meanwhile, advanced to the last four after holding on to their early lead against the reigning African champions.
For Nigeria, the result represents a setback to their bid to retain the continental title and maintain their record of reaching at least the semi-finals at the WAFCON.
The Super Falcons must now regroup and focus on the next stage of the qualification process, with their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Cup still alive despite the quarter-final setback.
