Ajibade: Super Falcons Gave Everything Despite World Cup Heartbreak

By Dorcas Francis Koji

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade says Nigeria’s players gave everything in their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, despite a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the World Cup were finally ended last Thursday when the Super Falcons suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the CAF play-off.

The result brought an end to Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.

The Falcons had been handed a second opportunity to keep their qualification hopes alive after their shock 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon at the WAFCON.

That loss not only ended Nigeria’s hopes of defending their continental title but also brought their unprecedented run of reaching at least the semi-finals at every previous WAFCON edition to an end.

Nigeria arrived in Morocco as the defending champions and the most successful team in the history of the competition, having won the title 10 times.

Their most recent triumph came in 2025, when the Super Falcons produced a remarkable comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final after falling two goals behind.

However, their latest campaign ended in disappointment.

Against South Africa, Thembi Kgatlana broke the deadlock in the 56th minute before Refiloe Jane doubled Banyana Banyana’s advantage in the 77th minute.

Nigeria managed to pull a goal back late in the match, but the Falcons were unable to find the equaliser needed to keep their World Cup dream alive.

Days after the painful defeat, Ajibade addressed Nigerian supporters, acknowledging the magnitude of the disappointment while insisting that the squad had given everything throughout the campaign.

“This is to every football-loving fan in Nigeria who has stood by the Super Falcons thus far,” Ajibade wrote on X on Sunday.

“This one hurts. There’s no way around that. We didn’t get the result we wanted, and for the first time, we won’t be at the World Cup.”

The Atletico Madrid midfielder admitted that the setback was personal for the players and said the entire squad shared the pain of failing to maintain Nigeria’s historic World Cup record.

“I carry that. I take it personally, and I know every member of this team does too,” she added.

Ajibade, however, defended the commitment of her teammates, stressing that nobody had held back during their preparations and matches.

“But I want to say this clearly: this team gave everything. Every training session, every match, every ounce of fight, nothing was held back.”

Nigeria’s elimination means the Super Falcons will watch the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup from home for the first time since the competition was launched in 1991.

For a team that has dominated African women’s football for decades, the absence represents a major setback and leaves Nigerian football with plenty to reflect on ahead of the next World Cup cycle.