Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has unveiled his squad for the team’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic, reports Completesports.com.
Madugu listed 21 players for the final qualifying round fixture.
The gaffer included three goalkeepers, seven defenders, five midfielders and six forwards in the squad.
Some of the regular named in the squad are; captain Rasheedat Ajibade, Asisat Oshoala, Esther Okoronkwo, Michelle Alozie, and Osinachi Ohale.
Other key stars invited by Madugu are; Ashleigh Plumptre, Chiamaka Nnadozie, and Oluwatosin Demehin.
The first leg will hold at the Stade Kegue, Lome on Saturday, 25 October.
Read Also: Cross River Governor Gifts Super Falcons Defender N50m
The return leg is slated for the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta on Tuesday, 28th October 2025.
The winner will earn a berth at the WAFCON 2026 finals which will be hosted by Morocco.
The WAFCON 2026 finals will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, to be hosted by Brazil.
Madugu’s Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton Hove & Albion, England); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)
Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies FC, Saudi Arabia); Blessing Ilivieda (Bayelsa Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey); Miracle Usani (Abia Angels)
Midfielders: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris Saint Germain, France); Taiwo Afolabi (Rivers Angels); Deborah Abiodun (Washington Spirit, USA); Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
Forwards: Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Joy Omewa (Fortuna Hjorrin FC, Denmark); Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto, Canada); Asisat Oshoala (Al Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Folashade Ijamilusi (Liaoning Shenyang Shenbei Hefeng, China); Kafayat Mafisere (Edo Queens).
By Adeboye Amosu
9 Comments
Good list! But please Esther okoronkwo should play safe so she doesn’t get injured…we need her against gabon in the playoff…
One sports columnist some weeks back wrote the retirement of Onumunu should automatically translate to the call up of one Joy Omewa lighting up the Danish league (if I am correct) instead of Washingtons Gift Monday.
In my head, I was like “This is Deo” because I recall before WAFCON in June, he was “livid” she wasn’t in the squad as well as Gift.
Let’s see what she’s got even if I feel Madugu might treat her as Chioma Okafor who won WAFCON without kicking a ball.
Why should NFF toil with falcons and not let them play friendlies in FIFA calendar last month and none too is planned for November?
Even though falcons should be a team even a PE teacher can come in and dominate football, the beauties still need tune up matches.
Our rivals list don suddenly long:
Ghana, Zambia, SA, Cameroon, Morocco (who’ll be desperate to show returns for years of investment in spite of their largely home based squad; kind of like a band of sheep marshalled by a lion (Jorge Vilda) as opposed to lions overseen by a sheep…)
Next edition in March is world cup 2027 qualifiers and all semifinalists are assured a spot in Brazil.
But 2 African nations (best losing quarter finalists) go for intercontinental playoffs at the end of 2026.
Since super Eagles are in playoffs, illpreparation can take the falcons through that route if NFF and their idle teams of planners don’t get preparations right.
Our underage teams are now also-rans in African competitions because we don’t take preparations seriously.
NFF, treat falcons right. They’ve never missed a world cup before so you have been mismanaging the free dollars from their exploits so never skip friendly windows again.
We should scale next week’s games in spite of the coaching crew (for me, i never still trust Madugu especially after the toll of a draw against Algeria and the fortuitous Alozie goal against SA) but if we want to dream of another title next year (that’s too lofty because lack of games when our rivals don many), we should not joke with Falcons especially after the standards of 2023 world cup and the respectable or marginal defeats at Paris 2024 against teams that have since upped the ante with formidable talent pool.
NFF! Respect yourself.
Falcons (forget the unprecedented payouts to players at the last world cup, inspired by the corruption of the Continental federations that treat women as only “fit for the other room”) are the only semblance of success in our football in recent years.
Do the needful, glasshouse and I’m glad the team is “stable”.
Coach Justin Madugu has kept faith with majority of the Falcons that landed the Wafcon title.
Gift Monday, despite banging goals in the USA still misses out. Rafiat Imuran, despite burning leather on the pitch in England is excluded.
What of Chioma Okafor, that Malawi born Wafcon winner who plays college football in America?
Anyway, good luck to the team.
What did Gift Monday do?
She didn’t give any gifts on Monday.
@Tarara, lol you are very funny.
Lmao….you no well I swear. She didn’t live up to her name…lol
The team don’t need Oshoala.Instead Gift Monday or the lady banging goals for Bayern Munich should be rewarded.
We should learn to reward hard work.Oshoala was awful at the last Awcon tournament i do not see any value she will add to the falcons going forward.She’s only there because of her profile and connections otherwise she has no future,no business with the super falcons.
Please, where are Onyenezide and Ajakaye? Does anyone know their whereabouts….?
I hope they are still playing football wherever they are. Please, these 2 precouciosly talented players shouldn’t be left to wander away into oblivion.
As for this list, I’m not even bothered; for me, this list is an overkill.
So if Madugu likes, he should collect all the bribes in the world to call up questionable names, just as a certain college student made our AFCON list ahead of established Spanish, Danish, and American league pros, and ended up not kicking a ball in anger all tournament long.
At this point, anybody he calls up would be good enough to defeat Benin home and away.