By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Cameroon stunned defending champions Nigeria 1-0 in a tense WAFCON quarter-final on Sunday, ending the Super Falcons’ title defence and securing a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Indomitable Lionesses produced a disciplined performance at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, with Myriam Nyadjou Wamen scoring the decisive goal in the 20th minute.

Nyadjou found the breakthrough with a well-taken strike to give Cameroon a lead they defended resolutely for the remainder of the contest.

Nigeria, seeking to retain the continental title they won in 2025, struggled to find a way through the Cameroonian defence despite introducing fresh attacking options in the second half.

The Super Falcons brought on Toni Payne and Christy Ucheibe in the 61st minute, while Esther Okoronkwo replaced Gift Monday. Captain Asisat Oshoala and Jennifer Echegini were also introduced in stoppage time as Nigeria pushed for an equaliser.

But Cameroon held firm to complete a significant upset and advance to the last four.

The victory also carries a major reward beyond the WAFCON semi-finals. Cameroon have automatically qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four WAFCON semi-finalists guaranteed places at the global tournament.

Cameroon will now face Morocco in the semi-finals on Wednesday, August 12, after the hosts defeated South Africa 2-1 in their quarter-final.

For Nigeria, however, the defeat does not completely end their World Cup hopes.

The expanded 2026 WAFCON format provides a second route to the 2027 World Cup for teams eliminated in the quarter-finals. The four losing quarter-finalists will contest two play-off matches, with the winners securing the remaining two African places at the World Cup.

Nigeria will therefore have another opportunity to secure a ninth consecutive appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but their path has become considerably more difficult following the defeat to their longstanding rivals.

The result is particularly painful for the Super Falcons, who entered the tournament as defending champions and were seeking a record-extending 11th WAFCON title. Nigeria had also never failed to reach the WAFCON semi-finals before this tournament, according to CAF’s tournament statistics.

Cameroon, meanwhile, have overturned recent disappointment against Nigeria in spectacular fashion. The Lionesses had lost their previous WAFCON quarter-final meeting with the Super Falcons 1-0 in 2022, but this time it was Nigeria who suffered the narrow defeat.