Chairman of the Kogi State Football Association, Hassan Wada, has expressed confidence that the Super Falcons will overcome their disappointment at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria’s hopes of retaining the WAFCON title were ended by a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon, forcing the 10-time African champions into the World Cup play-off route.
However, Wada believes the setback should not be interpreted as a decline in Nigeria’s position as the continent’s leading women’s football nation.
The football administrator described the Cameroon defeat as an isolated setback and insisted that it does not erase the quality and dominance the Super Falcons have demonstrated over the years.
“I remain very optimistic that the Super Falcons will qualify for the World Cup. The defeat to Cameroon was a one-off result and should not be used to suggest that Nigeria has suddenly lost its superiority in African women’s football,” Wada said.
Nigeria has historically dominated the WAFCON, winning the competition 10 times, while also maintaining a record of appearing at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991.
Wada believes head coach Justin Madugu and his players still possess enough quality and experience to respond positively when it matters most.
The Super Falcons will face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on Thursday, August 13, in a crucial World Cup play-off in Casablanca. The encounter has become even more important following South Africa’s own 2-1 quarter-final defeat to hosts Morocco.
The winner will continue along the African qualification pathway towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while defeat would put Nigeria’s historic World Cup appearance record in serious danger.
Wada urged Nigerians to remain supportive of the team rather than allowing the Cameroon defeat to undermine confidence ahead of the decisive encounter.
With the Super Falcons now facing another major African opponent, Wada believes the players have the opportunity to demonstrate their character and restore confidence by securing the result needed to keep their World Cup dream alive.
