Nigeria’s Super Falcons have lost the chance to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their WAFCON 2026 quarter-final match.
The only goal of the game came in the 19th minute through Nyadjou, and it ultimately proved enough to send Cameroon into the semi-finals.
Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina played a key role in the victory, making eight saves as Nigeria pushed for an equaliser throughout the encounter.
The Super Falcons created a number of scoring opportunities but could not beat Bihina, who produced several important stops to maintain Cameroon’s advantage until the final whistle.
With the loss, Nigeria can no longer qualify directly for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil through the WAFCON tournament.
Under the qualification format, only the four teams that reach the semi-finals of the African championship earn automatic World Cup tickets.
As one of the quarter-finalists eliminated from the competition, Nigeria will now enter the African play-offs alongside the other three losing quarter-final teams.
The winner of that play-off route will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs, where another opportunity to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be available.
The Super Falcons are therefore still in contention for a place in Brazil, but they must now navigate a more difficult qualification path.
