[Photos] Super Falcons Arrive In Rabat For 2026 WAFCON In Style Amid Theft Allegations

The Super Falcons of Nigeria have arrived in Rabat, Morocco, to begin the defence of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title, carrying confidence, fresh momentum and a new-look jersey as they chase a record-extending 11th continental crown.

Justine Madugu’s squad travelled to the Moroccan capital after completing a 10-day training camp in Casablanca, where preparations ended on a positive note with a 2-1 friendly win over Tanzania’s Twiga Stars on Thursday.

The players made a striking arrival, stepping off the team bus in coordinated green-and-white tie-dye African outfits, complete with matching traditional headwraps.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade and AFC Toronto forward Esther Okoronkwo scored Nigeria’s goals in the win over Tanzania, providing another confidence boost ahead of the tournament.

The Super Falcons also unveiled a special jersey before the competition, featuring 10 stars surrounding the team’s badge. Each star represents one of Nigeria’s WAFCON triumphs.

The team first wore the commemorative kit during the victory over Tanzania and will be hoping to add an 11th star by lifting the trophy once again in Morocco.

Nigeria will play all three Group C matches in Rabat. Madugu’s side begin their title defence against tournament debutants Malawi’s Scorchers at the Al Madina Stadium on Tuesday before returning to the same venue to face Zambia’s Copper Queens. Their final group match will be against Egypt’s Cleopatras at the Olympic Stadium.

While preparations on the pitch have gone smoothly, the team’s stay in Casablanca was overshadowed by allegations that money was stolen from players’ wallets at the Marriott Hotel.

Naija News reports that the claims emerged after Okoronkwo posted a series of messages on Snapchat, alleging cash had disappeared from her room while the squad was preparing for the tournament.

“This hotel, Marriott in Casablanca, just stole a lot of people’s money from their wallets! They just stole 500 USD from me. They stole a couple of dollars from my teammate,” she wrote.

She later revised the figure, adding: “Guys, I did my calculations wrong. They actually stole $700, not $500 USD.”

Okoronkwo also alleged that housekeeping staff were responsible. “The cleaning people stole the money. They waited while we weren’t in the room to clean and steal the money,” she alleged.

She claimed hotel officials failed to provide satisfactory answers when the matter was reported.

“We started talking to them, and they don’t have answers. They also started being disrespectful,” she added.

The Super Falcons’ Media Officer, Mary Cathryn, confirmed the incident had been reported by members of the team and said the matter had been forwarded to the relevant Moroccan authorities for investigation.

As of the time of reporting, neither the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Marriott Hotel Casablanca, nor the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had released an official public statement on the allegations.