By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Dominique Rosa Hanjavola of Madagascar as the centre referee for the second leg of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and the Amazons of Benin Republic.
Hanjavola will be assisted by Claris Simango of Zimbabwe and fellow Malagasy official Hasimbola Rasoloniaina.
Grace Gimo, also from Zimbabwe, has been named the fourth official, while Ghana’s Christine Ziga will serve as match commissioner. Senegal’s Ndeye Fatou Seye has been appointed as the referee assessor.
The decisive fixture is scheduled for Tuesday at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta, where Nigeria will defend a 2–0 first-leg advantage earned in Lomé.
Goals from Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo put the nine-time African champions in a commanding position to secure qualification for the 2026 WAFCON, which will be hosted by Morocco from March 17 to April 3.
With several continental heavyweights already in control of their qualification campaigns, anticipation is mounting for another exciting Women’s Africa Cup of Nations next year in Morocco.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
