Victor Ikpeba Tips Super Falcons as 2026 WAFCON Favourites Ahead of July Tournament

Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has identified the Super Falcons as the team most likely to win the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which is scheduled to kick off on July 25. The ex-Monaco striker made his assessment during an appearance on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football programme.

Ikpeba pointed to the widespread distribution of Nigerian women footballers across top professional leagues in Europe and the United States as a key factor separating the Super Falcons from the majority of their continental rivals. “Not every African country has the pedigree of having its girls play abroad,” he said, underlining what he regards as a structural advantage for Nigeria heading into the tournament.

The 1997 African Footballer of the Year was also complimentary toward the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over its efforts to arrange competitive preparatory fixtures ahead of the continental showpiece. The Super Falcons are set to play two international friendly matches against Senegal at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne as part of their build-up.

“It is good to see our girls come back home and play friendly matches. At the end of the day, our girls are everywhere in Europe and America,” Ikpeba said. His praise follows a period of reported difficulty in securing quality warmup games, with the Super Falcons’ head coach previously revealing that opposition nations had been reluctant to schedule friendlies against Nigeria. The Jamaica Football Federation also separately addressed the cancellation of a planned fixture with the Super Falcons.

Despite those logistical challenges, Ikpeba expressed confidence that the NFF was taking the right steps to ensure the team is properly prepared. “We are always the team to beat, and kudos to the NFF. I said it some months ago: it was never intentional. They will do what is right for our girls to go out there and defend their title,” he added.

Nigeria’s status as the dominant force in African women’s football is well established. The Super Falcons are the most decorated side in WAFCON history, having claimed the continental title on 10 occasions. Their most recent triumph came against Morocco, a victory that extended a record that no other nation on the continent has come close to matching.

The 2026 WAFCON will present an opportunity for the Super Falcons to add to that tally. With the tournament beginning on July 25, the friendly fixtures against Senegal will serve as a critical gauge of the squad’s readiness under competitive conditions before the tournament begins in earnest.