Super Falcons Must End Era of Past Glory as Former Captains Demand Major Rebuild

Nigeria’s Super Falcons must stop relying on their history and begin rebuilding from the ground up, former captains Desire Oparanozie, Patience Avre and Kikelomo Ajayi have warned following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The warning comes as Nigeria prepares to resume its 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign in October against Comoros, with a new technical crew expected to take charge. The Super Falcons lost their automatic World Cup qualification opportunity after a 1-0 quarter-final defeat by Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations before South Africa eliminated them 2-1 in the CAF play-off.

The failure ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every Women’s World Cup since the tournament began in 1991. It also marked the Falcons’ earliest-ever exit from the WAFCON, forcing the Nigeria Football Federation to seek major changes within the team.

The NFF has since asked the technical crew led by Justine Madugu to step down. Former goalkeeper Ann Chiejine, goalkeeper coach Auwal Makwalla, video analyst Igor Krulj and fitness coach Per Karlsson were also affected by the decision.

Ajayi, who captained Nigeria at several major tournaments, said the setback should be treated as a warning rather than simply a loss of status. She argued that African women’s football has become far more competitive and Nigeria must respond by improving its planning, preparation and investment.

“We have not lost our glory, but it is a warning that the rest of Africa has caught up and become much more competitive,” Ajayi said. She called for a renewed football culture built around continuity, accountability and better preparation, adding that Nigeria should focus on creating a new era of success rather than simply remembering its past achievements.

Oparanozie, who is serving on an NFF fact-finding committee examining the poor performance of the national teams, called for a wider rebuild. She said Nigeria could no longer depend on natural talent and its historical reputation, while urging the federation to appoint a new coach and give younger players greater opportunities.

Avre also cautioned against placing the blame solely on the players. The former four-time African champion said Nigeria must examine the entire women’s football structure, including coaching, tactics, player development, grassroots football, the domestic league, player welfare and investment.

The rebuild is expected to begin ahead of the Olympic qualifiers. National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade said the commission and NFF would work together to reshape the Falcons’ technical set-up, stressing the importance of qualifying for the 2028 Olympics. Nigeria returned to the women’s Olympic football tournament at Paris 2024 after a 16-year absence but failed to progress beyond the group stage.