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After a poor start to their campaign at the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Nigeria have qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. The reward for that is a face-off with rivals Cameroon.

The Super Falcons defeated Egypt 6-2 in their last Group C game on Wednesday to finish second behind Malawi after a frenetic ending to matches in the group. Half of the six Nigerian goals came from penalties, converted by record six-time Women’s African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe and Rasheedat Ajibade.

Gift Monday, Uchenna Kanu and Joy Omewa also scored for the Super Falcons, who led 2-1 at half-time. Nadin Ghazy bagged a brace for Egypt, one from a penalty. The Cleopatras of Egypt ended the group stage having no points from three matches.

Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi ended on six points after three games. But CAF’s rules meant that goal difference across the whole group was not enough to separate the three nations.

That meant only the matches among the three teams were used under the head-to-head tiebreak. With that, Zambia dropped to third despite winning two games and having six points.

Leading 2026 WAFCON scorer Barbra Banda netted after just two minutes for Zambia, and Prisca Chilufya added a second goal before half-time. But the goal Tabitha Chawinga scored for Malawi in the 72nd minute proved crucial as it took the landlocked southern African nation to the top of the table despite trailing.

Cameroon have already booked their place in the knockouts as Group D leaders, having beaten Ghana and Mali, and will face Cabo Verde in their last game. Nigeria’s game against Cameroon will take place on Sunday. The game renews the rivalry between Nigeria and their neighbours, with the winner sealing an automatic ticket to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Malawi, the lowest-ranked of the 16 qualifiers for the tournament, finished first and will face Ghana or Mali for a place in the semi-finals and a ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Hosts Morocco will play South Africa, and Cote d’Ivoire will take on Algeria on Saturday.

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned commercial transport operators operating from illegal parks and roadside locations across Abuja to move to the designated bus terminals or be shut down.

The Mandate Secretary, FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, gave the directive during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Elechi warned that all unauthorised loading points would be shut down and non-compliant vehicles impounded without further notice.

He recalled that the administration had earlier directed all transport operators to move to fully operationalise ultra-modern bus terminals, beginning with the facility in Mabushi.

He stressed that the drive to clear the streets of unauthorised motor parks stems from a direct mandate given by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to bring order, decency, and security to the nation’s capital.

“The Federal Capital City is the capital of Nigeria, just like London is to the UK or Paris to France.

“Our capital cannot be different. At the root of decency and a modern city is a functional public transportation system. The days of everybody doing what they like in the FCT are over,” he said.

The mandate secretary highlighted that the FCTA has invested billions of Naira to construct the ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District (CBD).

This, he said, marks the first time in the FCT’s 50-year history that such state-of-the-art transit hubs have been developed.

Beyond enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal and boosting tourism, Elechi emphasised that centralising transit operations within official terminals is vital to curbing criminality.

He said that the operation of the bus terminals would particularly address illegal transit operations locally known as “one chance” robberies, alongside drug and arms trafficking.

He revealed that recent trial enforcement operations vindicated the administration’s aggressive stance.

“About two weeks ago, we carried out a trial enforcement and impounded vehicles after issuing quit notices.

“Believe it or not, we discovered highly illegal products inside some of those ad-hoc seizures. What we saw was frightening.

“As such, proper profiling of operators at official terminals will dramatically reduce citywide insecurity,” he said.

To ensure efficient management of the bus terminals, the FCTA has partnered with private operators, including Planet Projects, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

Elechi dispelled rumors that the government intends to deprive transporters of their livelihoods, clarifying that operators are merely being relocated from hazardous roadside setups into fully equipped, secure facilities.

“We are not taking food from anybody’s table. We are asking you to leave unsafe, unhealthy roadside locations for modern bus terminals built with government resources. Nobody is going to lose anything,” he said.

Expressing frustration over past non-compliance, the mandate secretary noted that despite previous impoundment of more than 100 vehicles—where defaulting drivers were released after signing undertakings—many operators routinely returned to illegal loading spots.

He warned that the secretariat is backed by Order 1 established under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and the Transportation Regulations of 2023.

He added that with the regulations, the Transport Secretariat holds full legal authority to license operators, seal unauthorised private premises used as makeshift parks, and confiscate non-compliant vehicles.

“They sign an undertaking, and the next day they are back on the road. It is a cat-and-mouse game, and we are tired of it.

“If you rent private premises or take over any small space and turn it into an illegal motor park, we will seal off the premises, impound your vehicles, and enforce the law to the letter.

“With full backing from the FCT Minister and the Presidency, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy against illegal transport operations to restore order and safety to Abuja,” he said.

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has hailed Team Nigeria on their sterling performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, saying the national contingent made their country proud at the sports tournament.

Speaker Abbas, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, commended the Nigerian athletes for their patriotism and commitment to their country, noting that they were strongly determined to keep Nigeria on the map of sports excellence.

While noting that trophies and medals only symbolise performance ratings, the Speaker noted that it is discipline, resilience, and determination that make victory a reality. These, he stated, have earned Nigeria 24 medals—10 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze—at the latest edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Describing Team Nigeria as the country’s “global sports ambassadors,” Speaker Abbas thanked the Nigeria Olympic Committee and the National Sports Commission for creating the logistics and support needed for the athletes to win medals.

The Speaker urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to draw inspiration from Team Nigeria, especially regarding discipline and excellence in any field they find themselves in. He urged all to remain patriotic citizens and good ambassadors of Nigeria across the world.