Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has admitted Nigeria must learn from their disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign after their failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria entered the tournament in Morocco as defending champions and were among the favourites to retain their continental crown.
However, the Falcons endured a difficult campaign, beginning with a shock 3-2 defeat to WAFCON debutants Malawi before recovering with victories over Zambia and Egypt to reach the knockout stage.
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Their hopes of defending the title were ended by Cameroon, who secured a 1-0 victory over the Super Falcons in the quarter-finals. That result also meant the Falcons had to enter the continental play-off for another route to the 2027 World Cup.
Their final opportunity disappeared on Thursday when South Africa defeated them 2-1 in Casablanca, ending Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament in Brazil.
Reflecting on the disappointment, Ajibade identified gratitude as the biggest lesson she would take from the Falcons’ campaign.
What Rasheedat Ajibade said
“To be honest, my biggest lesson is just gratitude. We should be grateful,” Ajibade told Ademola Victor.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder also acknowledged that Nigeria can no longer afford to approach matches with the assumption that their pedigree will be enough to overcome their opponents.
“We should learn not to be lax because the competition is fierce now,” she added.
“We must realize we’re not invincible; we just need to prepare more, get better, and demand more of ourselves individually and collectively.”
Ajibade’s comments underline the changing landscape of women’s football in Africa, with Nigeria facing increasingly difficult challenges from teams such as South Africa and Cameroon.
For the Falcons, the disappointment of missing the World Cup for the first time in their history now provides an opportunity for serious reflection as they look to rebuild and regain their position at the top of African women’s football.
