BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will be looking to extend their impressive record in second group matches at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) when they take on Botswana this Thursday in Casablanca.

Historically dominant at this stage of the competition, the Super Falcons have won eight of their 12 second group games at WAFCON, drawing three and losing just once. That solitary defeat came on home soil in 2002 — a 1-0 loss to Ghana, marking the first time Nigeria lost a match to another African team.

Since then, Nigeria have remained a consistent performer in their second group fixtures. The only other times they failed to win were a 2-2 draw with Cameroon in 2004, a goalless draw with Tunisia in 2008, and a 1-1 stalemate against Ghana in 2016.

 Notably, the team has only twice failed to score in a second group match — during the losses to Ghana in 2002 and the draw with Cameroon in 2008.

Victory against Botswana would mark Nigeria’s 30th group stage win in WAFCON history, having played 38 matches (W29 D5 L3) — an unparalleled achievement on the continent.

The Super Falcons started their 2024 campaign in style with a commanding 3-0 win over Tunisia. Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala scored the opener to register her 14th career WAFCON goal, having now scored in four different editions — 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2024.

Nigeria were dominant throughout the match, registering 24 goal attempts and nine shots on target, while preventing Tunisia from testing their goalkeeper. They also completed 386 of 465 attempted passes, with defender Ashleigh Plumptre leading the way with a game-high 100 touches.

As they prepare to face Botswana, the Super Falcons will be confident of maintaining their strong tradition in second group games — and taking one step closer to another title run.

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Tunisia and Algeria will make history on Thursday when they clash in their Group B fixture at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), marking the first-ever meeting between the two North African neighbours at the continental showpiece.

The match, taking place at the Père Jégo Stadium in Casablanca, is only the second all-North African encounter in WAFCON history. The first occurred in 1998 when Morocco defeated Egypt 4-1 during the group stage in Nigeria.

Though separated by a 1,034-kilometre border stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara Desert, Tunisia and Algeria have never faced each other on this stage, setting the tone for a compelling and symbolic North African derby.

Tunisia enter the match in search of redemption following a heavy 3-0 loss to Nigeria in their opening group game. It was a difficult outing for the Carthage Eagles, who failed to muster a single shot on target, completed just 97 passes — their lowest ever in a WAFCON match — and held only 28% of possession, also a two-tournament low.

Their goalkeeper, Soulayma Jebrani, was the standout performer, making six saves from nine shots faced — the most she has registered in her five WAFCON appearances.

A second straight loss would mark the first time Tunisia have opened a WAFCON campaign with back-to-back defeats. They have never won a second group game at the finals, drawing 0-0 with Nigeria in 2008 and losing 1-0 to Zambia in 2022.

Algeria, on the other hand, began their campaign on a positive note, edging Botswana 1-0 to break a four-match winless run at the finals. A victory over Tunisia would put them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage.

With regional pride and critical qualification points on the line, this landmark North African derby promises to be both historic and fiercely contested.

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Nigeria and Botswana are set to renew their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) rivalry when they face off in a crucial Group B encounter at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday.

This marks the second WAFCON meeting between the two sides, with their previous clash coming in the group stage of the 2022 edition. On that occasion, Nigeria bounced back from an opening defeat to South Africa by securing a 2-0 victory over Botswana, courtesy of goals from Ifeoma Onumonu in the 21st minute and Christy Ucheibe early in the second half.

In that 2022 tournament, Botswana had begun their campaign with an impressive 4-2 win over Burundi, while Nigeria were seeking redemption after losing to the eventual group winners, South Africa. The Super Falcons went on to defeat both Botswana and Burundi, finishing second in the group, while Botswana advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams despite losing their final two group games.

That previous encounter remains a tactical benchmark, with Botswana managing only 26.3% possession — their lowest share in any WAFCON match to date — as Nigeria dominated proceedings.

Thursday’s fixture promises another intriguing chapter in the developing rivalry between the record nine-time champions Nigeria and a rapidly improving Botswana side aiming to upset the odds.

Past WAFCON Meeting:
Group C – 7 July, 2022: Botswana 0 Nigeria 2 (Onumonu 21’, Ucheibe 48’)

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