Nigeria: Super Falcons seal new friendly after Ghana clash collapse, WAFCON plans back on track

Nigeria's Super Falcons will now take on Tanzania's Twiga Stars after their planned pre-2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) friendly against Ghana was cancelled at the last minute, Soccernet.ng reports.

The match will serve as Nigeria's final warm-up before the tournament begins in Morocco on July 26. Tanzania have also confirmed the fixture as they prepare for their own WAFCON campaign.

The replacement game was confirmed by Tanzania head coach Bakari Nyundo Shime and the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), giving both teams a valuable opportunity to test themselves just days before the start of Africa's biggest women's football competition.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to announce the official kickoff time or release a detailed statement on the updated fixture, but the friendly has become an important part of the Super Falcons' preparations after the collapse of the much-anticipated meeting with Ghana's Black Queens.

Nigeria had originally scheduled the “Jollof Derby” against Ghana for Saturday, July 18, at Stade El Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca. However, the fixture was called off after serious squad availability problems left coach Justine Madugu without enough players to stage a competitive match.

Reports from the Super Falcons camp indicated that about 12 players had arrived during the early days of training, while later updates suggested the squad still contained fewer than 16 players because several overseas clubs delayed releasing Nigerian internationals.

Under FIFA regulations, clubs are only required to release players six days before the start of an official tournament. As a result, several key members of Nigeria's squad joined camp later than expected, disrupting the team's original preparation schedule.

The cancellation was officially announced on Friday evening through the Super Falcons' social media channels, forcing the coaching staff to quickly find another opponent before WAFCON kicks off.

Super Falcons: Tanzania friendly gives Madugu valuable final test before WAFCON

Rather than losing a vital matchday, Nigeria quickly secured Tanzania as a replacement opponent, ensuring Madugu still has one competitive fixture to assess his squad before the tournament begins.

Nigeria's squad includes several experienced stars who are expected to play major roles at WAFCON, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade, six-time African Women's Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala and first-choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The friendly also allows the coaching staff to build chemistry ahead of a demanding group-stage campaign.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Malawi, Zambia and Egypt. Their opening match comes against Malawi on July 28 at Al Madina Stadium in Rabat before facing Zambia on August 1 at the same venue. The Super Falcons will complete the group stage against Egypt on August 5 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

The new 16-team WAFCON format increases the pressure on every group-stage match because only the top two teams from each group will qualify automatically for the quarterfinals. Unlike previous editions, there will be no qualification route for the best third-placed teams.

Tanzania also have a difficult challenge ahead. The Twiga Stars have been placed in Group B alongside defending champions South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso, with their opening match against Bayana Bayana scheduled for July 27.