WAFCON 2024: Ajibade positive as Super Falcons begin quest for tenth trophy against Tunisia on Sunday
Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu and team captain Rasheedat Ajibade have assured Nigerians that the team is fully prepared for their opening WAFCON 2024 fixture against Tunisia.
The nine-time African champions, Nigeria, begin their quest for a record-extending 10th title against the North Africans, and both Madugu and Ajibade spoke confidently about the mood in camp and the task ahead.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Coach Madugu expressed satisfaction with the team’s build-up to the tournament.
“It’s been quite a good one,” he said. “We’ve been preparing very well. The girls have been responding positively to everything: training, preparations, and all other schedules. They’ve handled everything professionally, and we are good to go.”
Captain Ajibade echoed her coach’s sentiments, praising the backroom staff and the players’ collective focus.
“As my coach rightly said, everything is in order. The team is responding well. The backroom staff and everyone are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure we perform at an optimum level,” said the 25-year-old.
Ajibade, who recently parted ways with Atlético Madrid Femenino, admitted that managing club transitions while captaining Nigeria at a major tournament hasn’t been easy.
“To be honest, I’m human, and it’s challenging. But with the help and grace of God, I’ve had to stay professional,” she said.
“My career is important, but this tournament is a priority. I have to focus on what I can control. My agents are handling the background processes while I concentrate on playing football and representing my nation in the best possible way.”
This match marks the second meeting between Nigeria and Tunisia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The only previous encounter between the two nations came at the 2008 tournament, when they played out a goalless draw in their second Group B game in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.
In that 2008 edition, Nigeria had drawn 1-1 with Ghana in their opening match, while Tunisia lost 2-1 to South Africa. Nigeria advanced as group runners-up alongside South Africa, while Tunisia finished bottom of the group.
This will be Nigeria’s seventh match against North African opposition at WAFCON. They remain unbeaten in open play.
Their only defeat to a North African side came via penalties at the 2022 finals, after a 1-1 draw with hosts Morocco in the semi-finals.
Nigeria begin a WAFCON tournament against North African opposition for the third time. In previous such openers, they beat Morocco 8-0 in 1998 and Algeria 4-0 in both 1998 and 2004.
Nigeria won their first four WAFCON games against North African opponents before drawing their last two—against Tunisia in 2008 and Morocco in 2022.
In six WAFCON matches against North African teams, Nigeria have scored 25 goals and conceded just one.
They kept clean sheets in each of their first five such matches before conceding in the 2022 semi-final against Morocco, a match they eventually lost on penalties.
This fixture will be Tunisia’s fifth WAFCON match against West African opposition. Their record stands at P4 W1 D2 L1.
Tunisia previously drew 0-0 with Nigeria and lost 3-2 to Ghana in the 2008 group stage. In 2022, they defeated Togo 4-1, and then drew 0-0 with Senegal in a 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Intercontinental Play-off (ultimately losing on penalties).
