Segun Bailey 
Nigeria’s women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, will kick off their campaign for a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title today as they take on Tunisia in their opening Group B match in Casablanca, Morocco.
The match is being played at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium and marks the start of what the team has called “Mission X” – their mission to win a historic tenth African title.
The Falcons have been in camp and training hard in Morocco to get ready for this tournament. Before arriving in Casablanca, they had a few warm-up matches, including a goalless draw against Portugal in Lisbon and a 3–1 victory over Ghana. These games helped the team to build confidence and team chemistry ahead of the main competition.
Head coach Justin Madugu said the players are ready and focused. “The team is improving every day, and the spirit in camp is very strong. We are going into the game against Tunisia with the right mindset. The girls are determined to start with a win,” he said.
Tunisia, on the other hand, are not favourite in the group, but they have promised to give Nigeria a tough match.
Nigeria is in Group B alongside Tunisia, Botswana, and Algeria. After today’s match, the Falcons will play Botswana on July 10 and Algeria on July 13. All group matches will be played at the same stadium in Casablanca, which means the team doesn’t have to travel during the group stage.
The Falcons have won the WAFCON nine times already and are aiming to extend their dominance on the continent. Winning today’s match would give them a great start in the tournament and put them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage.
