Friday Ekpo believes the Super Falcons still have everything to play for at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, insisting Nigeria must treat the painful defeat to Malawi as a turning point rather than the moment their title defence fell apart, Footynaija.com reports.
The defending champions were stunned 3-2 by tournament debutants Malawi in one of the biggest upsets in WAFCON history. Temwa Chawinga struck twice, while her sister and captain, Tabitha, also found the net to hand the Scorchers a famous victory on their first appearance at the competition.
Nigeria’s late goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu came too late to prevent a defeat that has left the Super Falcons under pressure ahead of their remaining Group C fixtures.
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The result has also changed the complexion of the group. Zambia began their campaign with an emphatic win over Egypt, meaning the Super Falcons can no longer afford another slip if they are to stay on course for the quarter-finals and keep their hopes of defending the title alive.
Speaking after the match, Pulse Sports reports that Ekpo urged the players to put the disappointment behind them and focus on responding in the right way.
“It’s disappointing to know that the Super Falcons lost their opening game against Malawi. On paper, many people would have predicted that Nigeria would overcome Malawi, but that is not the case.”
The former Nigeria international believes the defeat should serve as a lesson rather than a reason to panic.
“I expect the team to learn from this defeat against Malawi and bounce back to winning ways in their next game.”
Ekpo also refused to write off the Super Falcons despite the setback.
“I am still confident that the Super Falcons will qualify from the group despite their opening defeat.”
His confidence is built on Nigeria’s experience in major tournaments. The Super Falcons remain Africa’s most successful women’s national team, and while the loss to Malawi has put them under pressure, they still have two group matches to rescue their campaign.
That task, however, will not be straightforward. Zambia have one of the strongest attacking units in the tournament, while every point has become even more important in the expanded 16-team competition.
