Nigeria names squad for WAFCON title defence

Nigeria will go to Morocco with the crown on their head and a target on their back.

Head coach Justine Madugu has named a 25-player squad built firmly around the core that delivered a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title last year, keeping faith with captain Rasheedat Ajibade, standout goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and talismanic forward Asisat Oshoala.

The mission is double-edged. Defend Africa. Protect a World Cup streak that stretches back more than three decades.

World Cup streak on the line

The Super Falcons, the only African nation to have reached every FIFA Women’s World Cup since 1991 and one of just seven teams worldwide with that perfect record, know the stakes in Morocco are higher than ever.

WAFCON 2024, running from July 26 to August 16, doubles as the qualifying route to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Reach the semifinals, and Nigeria are in. Miss out, and that proud run is suddenly in danger.

Madugu has been clear about the order of business.

The coach told CAFonline that qualification for Brazil is the immediate priority, with the defence of the African title coming next. Secure the semifinal, then talk about number 11.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Egypt, Zambia and debutants Malawi, with all three group matches to be played in Rabat. It is a group loaded with potential pitfalls, but one the champions will expect to control.

Plumptre blow for champions

There is, however, one glaring absence.

Ashleigh Plumptre, a key figure in defence during Nigeria’s recent resurgence, will not travel. The centre-back has not recovered from the injury she suffered in March and confirmed on social media that her body “is asking for more time”.

Her message was raw and honest: disappointment at missing this WAFCON, but a firm call to support the players who will go in her place and a promise to return when ready.

Nigeria must now attempt a title defence without one of their most composed defenders, a player whose leadership and left-footed balance have been central to the back line.

Yet this is no makeshift group.

Veteran steel, new energy

Madugu’s squad is thick with experience and hardened by years of continental and global battles.

Ajibade returns not just as captain but as one of the most dynamic midfielders in Africa. Nnadozie, widely regarded as the continent’s premier goalkeeper, anchors the side from the back. Around them, a seasoned core: Osinachi Ohale, Michelle Alozie, Christy Ucheibe, Halimatu Ayinde and Oshoala, all used to pressure, expectation and knockout football.

Alongside them stands a younger generation that has begun to change the feel of this team.

Midfielders Jennifer Echegini and Deborah Abiodun bring energy, range and modern versatility. Forwards Gift Monday, Esther Okoronkwo and Omorinsola Babajide are part of a group expected to take on more responsibility, not just as impact options but as game-changers when the margins tighten.

The blend is deliberate: old warriors with medals in their luggage, new faces hungry for their own story.

Only one home-based player, Abia Angels goalkeeper Fatima Oloko, makes the list. The other 24 are drawn from clubs across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East, underlining just how global this squad has become.

History in their sights

Nigeria arrive in Morocco as Africa’s most successful women’s national team, owners of 10 WAFCON titles and a legacy that stretches across generations. Now they chase something no one has yet achieved: becoming the first champions to defend the trophy in the expanded 16-team format.

The tournament format raises the stakes. The four semifinalists qualify automatically for the 2027 World Cup, while the fifth-place team heads to an intercontinental playoff. There is no room for complacency, even for a giant of the African game.

Everyone wants what Nigeria hold. Madugu knows it. The players know it. Every opponent will measure their own progress against the champions.

The question is simple, and brutal: can this mix of veterans and rising stars carry the weight of history one more time?

Nigeria WAFCON squad

• Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton Hove & Albion, England); Comfort Erhabor (Portsmouth Ladies, England); Fatima Oloko (Abia Angels)
• Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachuca Tuzas, Mexico); Michelle Alozie (Chicago Stars, USA); Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy); Rofiat Imuran (London City Lionesses, England); Glory Ogbonna (FC Kiryat Gat, Israel); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey); Sikiratu Isah (Bnot Netanya, Israel); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
• Midfielders: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris Saint Germain, France); Halimatu Ayinde (BK Hacken, Sweden); Deborah Abiodun (Washington Spirit, USA); Toni Payne (Everton Ladies, England); Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France)