An aspirant for the seat of president in Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Segun Solanke has warned the country’s female national team, Super Falcons that The Lionesses of Cameroon will come all out against them during Sunday’s clash in Casablanca, Morocco.
Solanke, who is the chief executive officer of Olumo United FC of Abeokuta and Provazios Sports Academy, stated this while speaking on ‘Hot Seat’ segment of Sports247’s television programme, Inside Naija Sports, during which he warned that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) quarter-finals clash between both sides will not be an easy tie.
Solanke reasoned further that the Cameronians are encouraged to seek victory against the Falcons with the way debuting Malawi defeated the 10-time champions in their opening match of the ongoing competition in Morocco.
However, while stating that the encounter will be close to call, Solanke went on to predict that the Falcons will eventually come out victorious, because he believes they have the right quality of players, experience and determination to win.
“Cameroon will want to come at them because they have seen what Malawi did. They will feel that they can do better than what Malawi has done.
“It will be close, but I know our girls are very capable. All they need to do is just believe in themselves, and I’m sure they’ll be able to win the game and move to the next stage,” Solanke asserted.
He went on to infer that the Falcons lost their first match of the championship due to lack of proper and adequate preparations outlined for them by the NFF, something that he promised will not occur once he takes over as president of the nation’s football governing body.
“One of the steps we need to take is making sure we get our teams ready on time. It’s all about planning. There shouldn’t be any reason for poor preparations.
“We shouldn’t have a situation when we want to go for any competition, then we just quickly rush our players to camp, then we tell them to go and win.
“That shouldn’t be happening. So, by the time we get there, we will make sure that every programme is properly planned and adequate preparations are put in place for everything.
“We will make sure that we already have every competition we are going to go for put on the table and we will plan towards it. We must plan ahead, and we don’t have to rush into anything. It’s all about proper planning and starting at the right time,” Solanke asserted.
He outlined more parts of his manifesto ahead of next month’s NFF election, as he spoke further during the Sports247 television programme that airs weekly on NTA NEWS24 and can be accessed continuously on YouTube.
Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare continued his impressive goalscoring form, netting his seventh goal of the season as AFC Ajax were held to a 1-1 draw by NEC Nijmegen in their Dutch Eredivisie encounter at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.
Sports247 reports that the Super Eagles forward wasted little time making his presence felt, opening the scoring in the seventh minute to give Ajax an early advantage in front of their home supporters.
Arokodare finished off an attacking move created by Jorthy Mokio, whose assist provided the Nigerian striker with the opportunity to register another important goal in his campaign.
The early breakthrough appeared to put Ajax in control, with the Amsterdam giants hoping to capitalise on their advantage and secure maximum points.
However, NEC Nijmegen responded just 12 minutes later when Tjaronn Chery converted from the penalty spot in the 19th minute to restore parity.
The equaliser brought the visitors back into the contest and ensured that both teams remained level despite Ajax’s promising start.
With the scoreline standing at 1-1, the hosts were unable to find another breakthrough, eventually settling for a share of the points at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
For Arokodare, the goal represented another significant contribution in what has been a productive season in front of goal.
The Nigerian international has continued to demonstrate his ability to find scoring opportunities and convert chances, with his seventh goal further underlining his importance to Ajax’s attacking ambitions.
Despite his individual success, the result will be disappointing for the Amsterdam-based club, which failed to turn an early advantage into a victory.
Following the draw, Ajax occupy fifth position in the Eredivisie standings with 15 points, five points behind league leaders Feyenoord.
The gap highlights the importance of securing victories as Ajax look to maintain their challenge near the top of the Dutch league table.
While the dropped points represent a setback for the hosts, Arokodare’s goalscoring consistency remains a positive development as the campaign progresses.
The Nigerian striker will now be hoping to maintain his impressive form and help Ajax return to winning ways in their upcoming fixtures.
For Nigerian football followers, Arokodare’s latest goal provides another encouraging sign of his attacking qualities, even though his contribution was not enough to secure all three points.
Seven goals and counting — Arokodare continues to deliver in front of goal, but Ajax must find greater consistency to close the gap on the Eredivisie leaders.