A semi-final spot at the 2026 WAFCON should have sealed an automatic spot for Nigeria’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, the Super Falcons suffered a disappointing 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon.
The defeat was particularly painful for Nigeria, a team with a long-standing reputation as one of the continent’s dominant forces in women’s football. While the loss to Cameroon was the immediate reason for their failure to seek automatic qualification, there are deeper issues that contributed to the disappointing campaign.
(1) An ageing core, particularly in attack
A significant portion of the Super Falcons squad is now in their late 20s and early 30s, with the forward line particularly dependent on experienced players.
Originally published by NotJustOk.