Head coach of the Benin Republic women’s national team, Abdoulaye Ouzerou, says his side is ready to pull off a shock victory against the Super Falcons in the return leg of their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier, taking place today, October 28, in Abeokuta.

The Benin Amazons face an uphill battle after falling 2-0 to Nigeria in the first leg last Friday in Lome, but Ouzerou remains optimistic that his youthful squad can turn things around.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, the coach said his team has learned from their mistakes and will approach the second leg with greater focus and belief.

“Having played Nigeria some days ago, we didn’t know the team well, but now we understand the Falcons better,” Ouzerou said. “On Tuesday, we will play with all our chances. If we get even one opportunity, we’ll give it everything. We have a very young team, and we are coming to try our best.”

He added that the team remains determined to fight until the final whistle despite the deficit.

“We are young and ready to give it our all. Losing 2-0 at home isn’t an impossible scoreline to overturn. We’ll play with full strength and confidence because we truly believe we can make it.”

The Super Falcons, on the other hand, will be aiming to complete the job at home and secure their place in the next round of the WAFCON qualifiers.

The Benin Republic women’s team arrived in Abeokuta on Sunday and had their final training session on Monday ahead of today’s decisive WAFCON qualifier against the Super Falcons.

With a 2-0 first-leg advantage, Nigeria will look to seal qualification in front of their home supporters. The Falcons dominated the first encounter in Lome, thanks to a standout performance from Deborah Abiodun, who provided two assists, while Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo both found the back of the net.

Head coach Justine Madugu and his squad trained on both Sunday and Monday, fine-tuning tactics as they aim to secure their place at Morocco 2026 — the stage where Nigeria hopes to defend their continental crown. The Super Falcons lifted their 10th WAFCON title earlier this year in Morocco, staging a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat the hosts 3–2 in a thrilling final.

For today’s encounter, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Dominique Rosa Hanjavola from Madagascar as the centre referee. She will be assisted by Claris Simango (Zimbabwe) and Hasimbola Rasoloniaina (Madagascar), while Grace Gimo (Zimbabwe) will serve as fourth official. Christine Ziga (Ghana) will act as match commissioner, and Ndeye Fatou Seye (Senegal) has been designated as the referee assessor.

Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Ogun State.