Rinsola Babajide: Expanded Women’s AFCON Will Make Tournament More Competitive

Nigeria forward Rinsola Babajide says the expansion of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) from 12 to 16 teams will raise the level of competition and make this year’s tournament in Morocco even more exciting.

The competition, scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 16 in Morocco, also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, Babajide insists Nigeria’s ambition remains unchanged—defend their continental crown.

Speaking to thenff.com, the AS Roma forward said the larger tournament format would increase competitiveness without altering the Super Falcons’ mindset.

“I think it makes it more exciting. We all know that this year’s Women AFCON is also for qualification to the World Cup finals. Of course, we all want to be there. I think it will make it more competitive but for us, the goal remains the same,” Babajide said.

“For us as a team, whether we are playing just to be crowned champions of Africa or for qualification to next year’s World Cup, the pressure is the same because we want to win. The only pressure actually is the one we put on ourselves. We know what we signed up for as professionals and, being the defending champions, we want to retain our trophy.”

Reflecting on her football journey, Babajide credited her development to the blend of her formative years in England and the experience she has gained representing Nigeria on the international stage.

“I’ve been blessed to have the best of two worlds. England helped me develop my game from age-grade football, and I’m forever grateful for that. I have continued to grow as an experienced player with Nigeria, and I do not take this for granted,” she added.

“I have learnt resilience and professionalism in both environments, and these make me a better player and a better person. We know what it takes to win and, as a team, we will give it our all in Morocco to retain the trophy. We are all determined to make Nigeria proud.”

The Super Falcons will head into the tournament as defending champions, aiming to retain their title while securing a place at the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

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.

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