Former Super Eagles striker Peter Ijeh believes the Super Falcons have what it takes to retain their WAFCON title despite facing their toughest challenge yet from Africa’s emerging women’s football powers.

Former Super Eagles forward Peter Ijeh has backed the Super Falcons to successfully defend their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title, although he believes the 2026 edition will be one of the toughest in the competition’s history.

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Nigeria heads into the tournament in Morocco as the defending champions and record 10-time African champions, with the added objective of securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Ijeh acknowledged that the Super Falcons remain Africa’s benchmark but warned that the gap between Nigeria and the rest of the continent continues to narrow.

“I believe Nigeria can win an 11th WAFCON title. It’s mission possible, but it won’t be easy because every team now wants to beat the defending champions,” Ijeh said.

The former Nigeria international noted that the rapid development of women’s football across Africa has made the continental championship far more competitive than in previous years.

“This tournament will be more difficult than what we’ve seen before. Countries have invested heavily in women’s football, and everyone wants to dethrone Nigeria,” he added.

Despite the growing challenge posed by teams such as hosts Morocco, South Africa, Zambia and Ghana, Ijeh believes the Super Falcons possess the experience, quality and winning mentality required to remain at the summit of African women’s football.

Nigeria has won more WAFCON titles than any other nation and enters the tournament with a squad blending experienced internationals and exciting young talents capable of extending the country’s dominance on the continent.

Beyond retaining the continental crown, the Super Falcons are also targeting qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making a strong start to the tournament crucial.

Ijeh believes that if the Super Falcons maintain their focus and handle the pressure that comes with being Africa’s most successful women’s national team, they have every chance of lifting a record-extending 11th WAFCON title in Morocco.

S&P Global announced Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Agusto & Co., a leading Pan-African rating agency with operations in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana.

The investment, a strategic step for both companies, will complement and support the growth strategy of the S&P Global Ratings division in Africa.

The company said in a statement that by combining S&P Global’s international expertise and resources with Agusto & Co.’s strong Pan-African presence and reputation for excellence, the partnership aims to expand market insights, strengthen credit transparency, and support market participants across the region.

“We are delighted to partner with Agusto & Co. to strengthen our domestic ratings presence across Africa,” said Yann Le Pallec, President, S&P Global Ratings. “This transaction underscores our commitment to supporting growth and transparency in local credit markets throughout the continent. Africa’s opportunity is extraordinary, and by combining our global expertise with Agusto & Co.’s deep local insights, together we can foster informed analysis, constructive market dialogue, and greater investor confidence both regionally and internationally.”

“This partnership is a transformational milestone for Agusto & Co. and African capital markets, fulfilling our late founder’s vision of affiliating with a leading global rating agency,” said Yinka Adelekan, Managing Director of Agusto & Co.

“For more than 30 years, we have built a trusted credit rating institution across Africa. By combining our deep Pan-African market knowledge and analytical independence with S&P Global Ratings’ global expertise, resources and affiliate network, we believe this partnership will create new opportunities, enhance value for market participants, and support the continued development of transparent and resilient credit markets across the continent.”

Agusto & Co. is a leading Pan-African credit rating agency with a strong presence in Nigeria and other key African markets, rating financial institutions, corporates and other entities. Following the transaction, Agusto & Co. will continue to operate as a separate ratings entity and issue its own credit ratings and methodologies in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.

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The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Subject to obtaining all required regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2026.

The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on the financial results of S&P Global or S&P Global Ratings, the agency said.

Agusto & Co. was founded in 1992 by the late Nigerian economist and chartered accountant, Olabode (Bode) Agusto. It was established as the first credit rating agency in Nigeria.

Mr Agusto, who served as the firm’s first managing director for 11 years, died in October 2023.