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WAFCON 2024: Jennifer Echegini expects tough group games for Super Falcons
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s Jennifer Echegini is already looking forward to her first appearance at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Super Falcons will play in Group B alongside Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana.
With a fourth-place finish at the 2022 edition in Morocco, the nine-time African champions hope to reclaim the title from South Africa this year.
Echegini, who is the first African player to join the French side, PSG, is not taking Super Falcons group opponents likely as she expects them to come to the party with their top games.
“It’s a tough group. On paper, we’re the favorites, clearly,” She told CAF.
“But in this kind of tournament, that doesn’t mean anything. No team should be taken lightly. We’ll need to be focused from the first minute and never underestimate the opposition.”
The midfielder highlights her role for Justine Madugu’s side at the next tournament after ending the team’s goal drought at the Paris 2024 Olympics against Japan.
“I’m a midfielder, so my role is to create, organize, and also score when I can,” She continued.
“I want to be a constant support for my teammates across all areas of the pitch. Nothing complicated—just doing what I know how to do. Simply being useful.”
Nigeria is a powerhouse on the continent, with a rich history in this competition having qualified for every edition and winning nine of the last 12 championships.
“We live with it. The pressure has always been there. When you wear the Nigerian jersey, you know the expectations are sky-high. But that’s a good thing, really.
“It’s those standards that shape who we are. Nigeria has won this competition multiple times. As the new generation, it’s our duty to carry on that tradition. So yes, there’s pressure. But everyone—the fans, the staff, us—wants the same thing: victory.” She concluded.
The team last won the WAFCON in 2018 under coach Thomas Dennerby and has reached the Round of 16 of the last two FIFA Women’s World Cup in France (2019) and Australia/ New Zealand (2023).
