2026 Women’s AFCON: Cameroon to challenge Nigeria in pretournament friendlies.

The Secretary General of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, Isaac Mandong, and the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed the developments last Tuesday.

“We have concluded everything that has to do with the two friendly matches, in conjunction with our counterpart body in Cameroon, FECAFOOT,” Nigerian newspaper, Punch, quoted Sanusi as saying in another report.

“Our commitment is to ensure that the Super Falcons are well-prepared to retain their WAFCON title in Morocco and qualify for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil,” the NFF chief scribe added.

Mandong said the federation is “excited about the opportunity to host the Nigeria national team and to strengthen the ties between our two federations through this collaboration”.

A group of 25 players made up mainly of home-based players began training in Odza in the outskirt of Yaounde over the weekend in the buildup to the forthcoming Women’s AFCON tournament.

The announced friendlies against Nigeria expected to provide a platform for the coach Mike Ndoumou-led selection to test its readiness especially as the two matches are programmed to happen when the Lionesses are into the final phase of their pretournament preparation following the arrival of foreign-based players.

Cameroon is paired in Group C of the forthcoming tournament alongside debutants Cabo Verde, reigning bronze medalists Ghana and Mali.

The team is hoping to either secure its first continental trophy at the end of the tournament or at least secure an automatic qualification ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil by reaching the semifinals phase of the Morocco showpiece which runs from March 17 to April 3. 

For Nigeria, the two games against Cameroon are expected to fill the vacuum that was created by last Monday’s reported cancellation of a four-nation invitational tournament that the Super Falcons were initially scheduled to compete in in the days ahead alongside Benin, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.

Reviving first class rivalry 

The announced forthcoming friendlies will mark the second successive time that Nigeria will be facing Cameroon as part of its preparations in the buildup to the Women’s AFCON.

The West Africans who are paired in Group D of the Morocco tournament alongside Egypt, Malawi and Zambia, challenged Cameroon at home in Nigeria in June last year in the leadup to their participation in the 2024 edition of the continental championship.

Beyond the scope of getting ready for the forthcoming ultimate continental assignment, the two forthcoming matches are also expected to serve as the latest episodes of what has been one of the biggest rivalries in women’s football in Africa.

Nigeria which emerged champions of the 2024 tournament last year, is the most decorated nation in African women’s football with 10 Women’s AFCON titles. The team claimed three of those trophies after defeating Cameroon in the final. 

The team recorded the most recent of the victories some 10 years ago when it scored late to beat Cameroon 1nil in the 2016 final at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3708 of Thursday February 19, 2026