Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have suffered a major setback after forward Esther Okoronkwo sustained a knee injury that could rule her out of the tournament in Morocco.
The Super Falcons star suffered a meniscus tear while playing for her club Canadian side AFC Toronto in a league match against Halifax Women.
The injury comes just months before the African championship, where Nigeria will attempt to defend the title she won in 2025 after defeating Morocco in the final.
Okoronkwo was one of Nigeria’s best players during the last tournament, scoring two goals and providing seven assists as the Super Falcons claimed a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
AFC Toronto coach Marco Milanovic confirmed the extent of the injury, saying, “Esther suffered a bit of a meniscus damage to her knee and the initial prognosis is that she’ll be out for about six weeks.”
He described the Nigerian forward as “a key player for us,” while expressing confidence in the squad’s ability to cope with her absence.
The timing of the injury has raised concerns for Nigeria coach Justine Madugu, whose side is already struggling to secure high-quality friendly matches ahead of the tournament.
The competition, originally scheduled for March, was postponed by the Confederation of African Football and will now run from 25th July to 16th August in Morocco.
Nigeria remains Africa’s most successful women’s national team, having won the continental title 10 times.
