Asisat Oshoala absence felt as Nigeria fall late to Cameroon in WAFCON warm-up

Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations suffered an early setback on Saturday night as an Asisat Oshoala-less Super Falcons side slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in an international friendly in Yaoundé.

Playing at the Military Stadium, the reigning African champions began with authority but ultimately paid the price for blunt finishing and the absence of their talismanic striker, Asisat Oshoala, whose cutting edge in the final third proved sorely missed.

Nigeria controlled large spells of the opening phase, pressing high and forcing the Indomitable Lionesses onto the defensive, yet their dominance produced little reward in front of goal.

Cameroon gradually settled into the contest, growing in confidence as the match progressed and beginning to test Nigeria’s defensive organisation.

The encounter evolved into a balanced tactical battle, with both sides using the fixture as a critical assessment ahead of the continental showpiece in Morocco. Nigeria introduced several substitutions after the interval in search of attacking urgency, but cohesion in the final third remained elusive.

Just when the contest appeared destined for a stalemate, Cameroon struck decisively in stoppage time. Mbomezomo Yvana capitalised on a late opportunity to hand the hosts victory, sealing a morale-boosting result for the Lionesses in their WAFCON build-up.

For head coach Justine Madugu, the defeat exposes lingering attacking concerns, particularly without Oshoala’s presence to convert pressure into goals.

However, the Super Falcons will have an immediate opportunity to respond when both sides meet again at the same venue on Tuesday, offering Nigeria a chance to restore momentum before the tournament begins.