Nigeria's preparations for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations have suffered a blow after the Super Falcons' scheduled pre-tournament friendly against Ghana's Black Queens was cancelled, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The highly anticipated encounter, popularly referred to as the "Jollof Derby," was due to take place on Saturday, July 18, at the Stade El Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca. However, the Super Falcons confirmed on Friday via their official X account that the fixture would no longer hold because of unforeseen circumstances.
“The friendly match between the Super Falcons and the Black Queens planned for Saturday, 18 July 2026, in Casablanca is off due to unforeseen circumstances.”
The fixture was expected to provide head coach Justine Madugu with a final opportunity to assess his squad before the start of the continental tournament. It would also have renewed one of African women's football's fiercest rivalries, with Ghana and Nigeria first meeting in the final of the inaugural Women's Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Nigeria in 1998.
The Super Falcons began their training camp in Casablanca earlier in the week, with Madugu overseeing the team's first training session at the Stade El Arbi Zaouli on Tuesday.
Among the early arrivals in camp were captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Fatima Oloko, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Glory Ogbonna, Christy Ucheibe, Shukurat Oladipo and Rofiat Imuran, midfielder Jennifer Echegini, and veteran forward Asisat Oshoala.
Nigeria heads into the tournament as defending champions and Africa's most successful women's national team, having lifted a record 10 WAFCON titles. The Super Falcons will now be aiming to secure an unprecedented 11th continental crown in Morocco.
Drawn in Group C, Nigeria will face Malawi, Zambia and Egypt, with all their group-stage matches scheduled to take place in Rabat. Their title defence begins against Malawi on July 28 before subsequent fixtures against Zambia and Egypt.
Ahead of the competition, Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga shared a light-hearted exchange with Oshoala during a pre-tournament panel featuring several African football stars, including Ghana's Cynthia Konlan and Egypt's Nadine Ghazi.
Oshoala jokingly challenged the Chawinga sisters, Tabitha and Temwa, over Nigeria's dominance in African women's football.
“Calm, sister, relax. You and Temwa need to calm down,” Oshoala said.
Chawinga responded with a smile:
“Super Falcons need to calm down. Do not give us 5-0, please. One-nil is enough.”
The humorous exchange has since gained widespread attention on social media, with supporters applauding the mutual respect and friendship between two of Africa's biggest stars, even as Malawi prepares to test itself against the reigning champions.
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations will run from July 19 to August 8. The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, while the fifth-placed team will earn a place in the intercontinental play-offs.