Ajibade: Super Falcons Gave Everything Despite World Cup Failure

Afolabi Ayodele Aug 17, 2026

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Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has said Nigeria’s players gave their best despite their disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup were ended last Thursday after the Super Falcons suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in a CAF play-off match.

The result means Nigeria will miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991, bringing an end to their record of appearing at every edition.

The Falcons had already suffered a major setback after losing 1-0 to Cameroon in the WAFCON quarter-finals.

That defeat ended Nigeria’s long-standing record of reaching at least the semi-finals of every previous edition of the competition.

Nigeria entered the tournament as defending champions and 10-time WAFCON winners. They had claimed their most recent title in 2025 after coming from two goals behind to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.

However, their hopes of recovering from the quarter-final disappointment were dashed by South Africa in the World Cup play-off.

Thembi Kgatlana put South Africa ahead in the 56th minute before Refiloe Jane extended the lead in the 77th minute.

Nigeria managed to score late, but the goal came too late to prevent elimination.
Following the painful defeat, Ajibade addressed Nigerian supporters on social media, acknowledging the disappointment while defending the commitment of the team.

“This one hurts. There is no way around that. We did not get the result we wanted, and for the first time, we will not be at the World Cup,” Ajibade said.

The captain added that she personally felt the weight of the disappointment and knew her teammates felt the same way.

However, she insisted that the players did everything within their power throughout the tournament.

“I want to make this clear: this team gave everything. Every training session, every match and every ounce of fight — nothing was held back,” she said.

Ajibade’s comments come as the Super Falcons face a major rebuilding period following their early exit from the continental competition and failure to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.

The setback ends Nigeria’s remarkable World Cup appearance streak and represents one of the most disappointing moments in the history of the women’s national team.

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