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Madugu Effects Four Changes as Super Falcons Face Must-Win WAFCON 2026 Clash Against Egypt

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Madugu Effects Four Changes as Super Falcons Face Must-Win WAFCON 2026 Clash Against Egypt

Head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, Justine Madugu, has made four changes to his starting XI for the Super Falcons’ crucial final Group C match against Egypt at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Rinsola Babajide and Toni Payne have both been handed their first starts of the tournament, while Folashade Ijamilusi and Shukurat Oladipo return to the lineup after missing Nigeria’s previous outing against Zambia. The duo had featured in the Super Falcons’ 3-2 defeat to Malawi.

First-choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie retains her place alongside Osinachi Ohale, Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe, Deborah Abiodun, Rasheedat Ajibade and Michelle Alozie, who all keep their spots from the Zambia encounter.

Nigeria head into the decisive fixture knowing only a victory over the North Africans will keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.

However, the Super Falcons must also rely on a favourable outcome in the other Group C match between Malawi and Zambia.

Failure to secure the required results would see Nigeria suffer a historic group-stage exit for the first time since the competition was established in 1998.

An early elimination would also place the 10-time African champions at risk of missing out on qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1991.

If Nigeria, Malawi, and Zambia ended their group stage campaigns with six points apiece, the head-to-head record will come to play in a mini-league format involving the three teams.

This will be followed by goal difference to determine the two teams which will make it to the quarter final.

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Samuel Ahmadu
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.