Nigeria, Cameroon in Titanic Battle for Semi-final, World Cup Tickets

By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief                                                                                                                                                In the past a football contest between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon is considered a walkover for the 10-time African champions following their dominance over their neighbours beginning from their first-ever meeting 35 years ago in the 1st FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers two-legged ties.

This is even as Nigeria has an enviable record of nine victories, three draws and one loss to Cameroon in 13 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) meetings since the tournament debuted in Nigeria in 1998.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Cameroon is not in the same football class as Nigeria if the number of times Super Falcons have won the WAFCON titles compared to none won by Indomitable Lionesses are anything to rely upon.

Rewind to1991, Nigeria’s Super Falcons still in their formative years through the efforts of some pioneers of women’s football development, promotion and administration, played two matches against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses in the final round of the inaugural African qualifiers for the 1st FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China in 1991.

Nigeria won both legs, taking a 6-0 aggregate victory to claim the regional title and qualify for the 1st World Cup as Nigeria won 2-0 in the first leg at National Stadium in Lagos and also won 4-0 in the return leg played in Yaoundé, Cameroon running away with an emphatic
aggregate score 6-0.

In deed, this marked the historic beginning of the fierce women’s football rivalry between Nigeria and Cameroon as Nigeria secured the first-ever ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup at the expense of Cameroon 35 years ago.

Fast forward to the first meeting of Nigeria and Cameroon in the maiden WAFCON in 1998 then known as Africa Women Championship (AWC), Nigeria walloped Cameroon 6-0 in the semi-final stage to begin a 28 year total dominance in the biggest women’s football competition in Africa.

Since then Cameroon has fallen to the West African neighbours superior firepower and has become “a wife of Nigeria” literarily speaking as the trend has continued except in the WAFCON 2012 when the Indomitable Lionesses roared louder and piped Super Falcons 1-0 in the 3rd Place match in Equatorial Guinea.

A resurgent Cameroon had a year earlier denied Nigeria the London 2012 Olympics Women’s Football Tournament ticket in the African qualifiers encounter as Nigeria lost the return leg match 3-4 on penalties in Yaounde after the final score remained 2-2. Falcons won the first leg 2-1 at National Stadium Abuja on August 27, 2011 and Lionesses 2-1 at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde on October 22, 2011.

Aside on these two occasions in competitive games and a recent 1-0 defeat of Super Falcons in a pre-WAFCON friendly in first of two friendlies on February 28, although Falcons bounced back on March 3, 2026 to hit Lionesses 3-1, Cameroon has played a second fiddle to Nigeria.

For this reason and if pedigree is to be considered, Nigeria will easily knockout Cameroon in the crucial quarter-final match today at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca Sunday evening when both meet in a winner takes all encounter.

However, unlike the more compact Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, the Super Falcons have been a shadow of their former selves in the three Group C matches especially in the 2-3 loss to debutants Malawi in the opening game of the tournament.

Head coach Justine Madugu has admitted to the lacklustre performance of his team and the porosity of his defence which conceded five goals in three matches. He has also promised to find solutions to the shortcomings that have been noticed in the team.

The Super Falcons are loaded with top professional players plying their trades in tough women’s football leagues across the world just as the presence of some experienced players or legends of WAFCON should be able to help the team get across the finish line today in Casablanca.

*Nigeria vs Cameroon Predicted teams:*

*Nigeria*
GK-Chiamaka Nnadozie
LB Michelle Alozie
CB Osinachi Ohale
CB Shukurat Oladipo
RB Oluwatosin Demehin
CM Toni Payne
CM Christy Ucheibe CM Jennifer Echegini
LW Rinsola Babajide ST Asisat Oshoala | RW Rasheedat Ajibade

*Cameroon*
GK Michaely Bihina
LB Easther Mayi Kith CB Collete Ndzana
CB Myriam Nyadjou RB Ivana Yakana
CM Monique Ngock CM Achta Toko
CM Genevieve Ngo Mbeleck
AM Naomi Ndjoah Eto
ST Grace Mendoua | ST Marie Ngah