Nigeria’s Super Falcons will begin their race to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games against either Sudan or Comoros, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the qualification pathway in Cairo.
The draw places Nigeria directly into the second round of the African qualifiers, a privilege earned through their long-standing status as one of the continent’s strongest women’s teams. They will now wait for the outcome of the preliminary clash between Sudan and Comoros, two of the lowest-ranked sides in the competition.
The qualification structure is straightforward but unforgiving. A total of 35 African teams will battle across five knockout rounds, played on a home-and-away basis. Only two tickets are available for Africa at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Sudan and Comoros will open the campaign in June 2026, with the winner advancing to meet higher-ranked teams including Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana in the second round scheduled for October 2026.
From that stage, the competition will tighten with each round. Teams will be eliminated across successive knockout ties until only two nations remain to represent Africa in the women’s football event at LA 2028.
CAF has also fixed the timeline for the qualifiers. The second round runs from October 5 to 13, 2026, while the third round takes place between February 23 and March 6, 2027. The fourth round follows in October 2027, before the final round is decided between November 23 and December 4, 2027.
For Nigeria, the target is clear. The Falcons are not just aiming to qualify they are trying to maintain their dominance as Africa’s most successful women’s national team. Their Olympic history includes appearances in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and most recently Paris 2024.
At the last qualifying series, Nigeria eventually secured one of Africa’s two slots alongside Zambia, but the margin was tighter than expected, a reminder that the competition across the continent is closing.
The women’s football event at the Los Angeles Olympics will feature 16 teams in total, including hosts United States, with the remaining slots decided through continental qualifiers.
