Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, are gearing up for a double-header international friendly against Cape Verde women’s national team, with both matches scheduled to take place in Ikenne on April 15 and 18.
The Falcons are expected to open camp in Abuja on April 11 before traveling to Ikenne, where they will finalize preparations for the two fixtures.
This encounter marks the second time both teams will meet within two years. Their last clashes came during the qualifiers for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in late 2023. On that occasion, Nigeria secured a hard-fought 2–1 away victory before sealing qualification emphatically with a 5–0 win at home.
The upcoming friendlies are expected to play a key role in Nigeria’s preparations for future continental competitions. Hosting both matches in Ikenne offers a controlled and familiar setting for the coaching crew to build team chemistry, fine-tune tactical approaches, and evaluate player performance under match conditions.
For Cape Verde, the fixtures present another valuable opportunity to test their progress against one of Africa’s most decorated women’s football teams, while gaining crucial international exposure.
Overall, the double-header underscores ongoing efforts to strengthen the Super Falcons’ competitive edge as they continue their build-up toward major tournaments on the African stage.
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.
