Myriam Nyadjou Wamen's first-half free-kick was enough to end the ten-time champions' reign at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, and with it, their hopes of automatic World Cup qualification.
Nigeria's reign as African women's football champions is over. Cameroon beat the defending champions 1-0 in Sunday's WAFCON 2026 quarter-final at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, ending the Super Falcons' bid for an 11th continental title.
Nyadjou settled it with a free-kick in the 19th minute. Nigeria dominated long spells either side of half-time and pressed hard for an equalizer after the break, but could not find a way through, with Cameroon's goalkeeper producing a crucial close-range save to protect the lead. The Indomitable Lionesses held on.
It was the 14th meeting between the two sides at a WAFCON finals, the most-played fixture in the tournament's history, and one Nigeria had utterly dominated: nine wins in open play and two more on penalties from the previous 13. Sunday flipped the script, and it continues a run of shocks in this year's knockout rounds, a day after Algeria eliminated Ivory Coast to reach their first-ever semi-final.
The defeat carries weight beyond the scoreline. Only the four WAFCON semi-finalists earn automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, so Nigeria's exit puts their World Cup hopes in real jeopardy, leaving a longer route through the intercontinental play-offs as their best remaining path.
It is a jarring finish for a team that arrived as record ten-time champions, having reclaimed the WAFCON crown in 2024 with a stunning 3-2 comeback win over hosts Morocco in Rabat. Their group stage this year was rockier than that pedigree suggests: an opening 3-2 loss to debutants Malawi, followed by a 1-0 win over Zambia and a 6-2 demolition of Egypt, results just good enough to scrape through on a tiebreaker. Sunday's defeat means none of that matters now.
Cameroon advance to face Morocco, 2-1 winners over South Africa in their own quarter-final, in Wednesday's semi-final. It is a rare piece of revenge for the Indomitable Lionesses, who had lost their previous four knockout meetings with Nigeria, including the 2022 quarter-final in this same city.
For Nigeria, the rebuild starts now.