Falcons, Lionesses set for Yaoundé showdown as WAFCON 2026 countdown begins

...As Cameroon names 25 players for the double header

By Maxwell Kumoye

The road to WAFCON 2026 runs through Yaoundé and it could not have scripted a fiercer dress rehearsal.

As the countdown begins to the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco between March 17 and April 3, reigning champions Nigeria will test their title credentials against long-time rivals Cameroon in two high-stakes friendlies on February 28 and March 3 inside the FIFA Women’s International Window.

For the Super Falcons, it is about fine-tuning a dynasty. For the Indomitable Lionesses, it is about rewriting a comeback story.

The 10-time African champions are leaving nothing to chance. The Nigeria Football Federation has finalized arrangements with FECAFOOT to ensure the back-to-back clashes in Yaoundé mirror the intensity expected in Morocco.

Nigeria arrives as the team everyone wants to dethrone. Last summer, they stormed through Tunisia, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and hosts Morocco to capture a record-extending 10th continental crown.

The mission now is simple but challenging, that's defend the title and secure one of four automatic tickets to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

“We are committed to ensuring the Super Falcons are fully prepared to retain their WAFCON title and qualify for the World Cup,” NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi stated.

History offers Nigeria an edge. When both sides met in a pre-WAFCON friendly last year in Abeokuta, the Falcons ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.

But friendlies in February will carry a different weight, they are auditions, statements, and psychological battles rolled into 180 minutes.

Cameroon are rebuilding and burning with purpose.

After the dismissal of Jean-Baptiste Bisseck, assistant coach Joséphine Ndoumou Mike has stepped into the spotlight, naming 25 players for a preparatory camp in Yaoundé.

With 24 home-based players from the Guinness Super League and only one overseas professional, Lamine Mana, the Lionesses are casting a wide net in search of the right blend before Morocco.

Their AFCON qualification story adds extra fuel. Initially eliminated by Algeria, Cameroon were reinstated following CAF’s tournament expansion.

Now handed a second chance, redemption is the theme.

And redemption begins against Nigeria.

The friendlies will not only shape tactics and test combinations but they will define momentum heading into WAFCON.

Nigeria wants to send a warning shot to the continent. Cameroon wants to prove they belong among Africa’s elite.

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