Soccer
Super Falcons’ preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco have suffered another setback after Jamaica pulled out of a planned international friendly against Nigeria in England, Soccernet.ng reports.
The match was expected to take place during the Unity Cup activities in the United Kingdom later this month and would have given coach Justine Madugu another important opportunity to test his squad before the start of the 2026 WAFCON campaign.
However, the proposed fixture collapsed after concerns linked to FIFA regulations and the release of overseas-based players.
In a statement released this week, the Jamaica Football Federation denied reports claiming the game was cancelled because of poor organisation from the Jamaican side.
According to the statement, Jamaica had been invited to face Nigeria during the Unity Cup events in England. The proposed dates for the friendly were May 27, 28 or 30, 2026.
But the federation explained that those dates fell outside FIFA’s official women’s international window, which runs from June 1 to June 9, 2026.
It stated: “As a result, clubs would not have been obligated under FIFA regulations to release players for international duty during the proposed period.”
That decision became a major obstacle because both Nigeria and Jamaica rely heavily on players based in Europe and North America. Without the protection of an official FIFA window, clubs were free to reject requests to release players for the match.
The JFF insisted that the issue had been clearly communicated during discussions with organisers from the beginning.
The statement added: “At no point was the matter related to administrative shortcomings on the part of the Jamaica Football Federation.”
Soccer Super Falcons facing difficult build-up to WAFCON
The cancellation is another frustrating development for the Super Falcons as preparations for the 2026 WAFCON continue to face major disruptions.
Nigeria, who are grouped with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi in Group C, have struggled to secure top-level friendly matches ahead of the tournament in Morocco.
Coach Madugu recently revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation contacted more than five countries in search of warm-up matches, but several teams reportedly turned Nigeria down because they preferred to face less demanding opponents.
European countries have also prioritised their own qualification schedules, making it difficult for Nigeria to arrange elite friendlies.
So far in 2026, the Super Falcons have played only two matches, both against Cameroon in March, ending with a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Meanwhile, rivals such as Zambia and Egypt have remained active with regular camps and competitive fixtures as they prepare for the expanded 16-team WAFCON tournament scheduled to run from July 25 to August 16.
Nigeria will play all their group matches at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, beginning with a clash against Malawi before facing Zambia and Egypt.
The Jamaica cancellation also comes amid wider complaints from senior Super Falcons players over planning and communication issues. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie have previously expressed concerns over late camp notices and organisational problems.
Despite the latest setback, Jamaica insisted that relations with Nigeria remain positive and that future discussions are still possible.
The federation said it remained open to arranging a match during an approved FIFA international window.
“The Jamaica Football Federation remains committed to ensuring that all international engagements involving our national teams are conducted in accordance with FIFA regulations and in the best interest of our players and programme development,” the statement read.
Ten-time African champions Nigeria are keen to defend their crown at the 2026 AFCON, a tournament that will also serve as a qualification route for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
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