As the Super Falcons of Nigeria prepare for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, first-choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has cautioned her teammates against complacency, stressing that over-confidence could derail their ambitions.
The 25-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper, who played a prominent role in the team’s record 10th WAFCON triumph, reiterated the squad’s clear objectives: retaining the continental crown and securing qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“For us, we know what we are going for: the Cup and the World Cup ticket. It will not be easy but we are the Super Falcons of Nigeria!” Nnadozie said via the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
She added that the team will adopt a match-by-match approach to avoid any slip-ups. “We will take it one match at a time because we cannot afford to stumble at any stage as a result of over-confidence. We will be focused squarely on the double targets of FIFA World Cup ticket and retaining the trophy.”
The tournament has expanded to 16 teams from the previous 12, increasing the level of competition. However, Nnadozie remains unfazed. “It is interesting to have more teams at the finals. That will make the tournament more competitive, but we are calm and focused regardless of the number of teams in the finals.”
The goalkeeper also dismissed the notion of easy groups, noting the rising standard across African women’s football. “I don’t share the belief that any group is tougher than the others. Honestly, right now in Africa, there are no longer minnows. There will be a lot of surprises in this tournament as the so-called small teams will be keen to prove they are no pushovers, so all teams deserve respect and must be taken seriously.”
Nnadozie enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 season with Brighton in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and helped the club reach the FA Cup final, where they were narrowly defeated by Manchester City.
Nine Super Falcons players have already reported to camp as early birds ahead of the tournament:
– Rasheedat Ajibade
– Chiamaka Nnadozie
– Asisat Oshoala
– Glory Ogbonna
– Christy Ucheibe
– Fatima Oloko
– Oluwatosin Demehin
– Rofiat Imuran
– Shukurat Oladipo