Nigeria’s Super Falcons are facing mounting concerns over their preparation for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after missing yet another international window. The current break, which runs from March 31 to April 8, represents a crucial missed opportunity for the 11-time African champions to regroup and build cohesion just four months before the tournament kicks off in Morocco.
The team’s inactivity stands in stark contrast to the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) earlier promises. NFF president Ibrahim Gusau had assured stakeholders in December 2024 that adequate preparations would be made for the team as they seek to reclaim the continental title they last won in 2018.
“We are in the process of organizing more friendly games for the team, to properly blend the old and new players to a formidable squad that will conquer Africa in style,” Gusau stated then. “The era of Nigerian teams arriving at major championships just to participate is gone.”
Despite these assurances, the Super Falcons have not been assembled since their 2-1 defeat to France in a high-profile friendly in November 2024. Before that, they hosted Algeria for two friendly matches in Lagos and Ikenne in October 2024.
The team’s preparation timeline is particularly concerning given that the WAFCON draw was conducted in November 2024, placing Nigeria in Group B alongside Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana for the tournament scheduled for July 5-26 in Morocco. The eight-month gap between the draw and the tournament should have provided ample time for strategic preparation.
Football analysts and fans have voiced their frustration over the situation. Ifeoluwa Leo-Olagbaye highlighted how other nations are using the international windows more effectively: “The female team of Ivory Coast will host Kenya in a two-match Friendly on April 4 and 8. The two countries are preparing ahead to ensure they stage a comeback to WAFCON 2026… Super Falcons who have qualified for WAFCON 2025 with three months to go have wasted two international windows.”
Another fan, Omisore Moses, warned that “other countries are quickly catching up with Nigeria in female football in Africa,” while Jimoh Okene drew parallels to the Golden Eaglets’ recent failures, noting that “this same negligence cost our U-17 a place in the ongoing U-17 AFCON.”
The situation is particularly frustrating given the quality of players available to the Super Falcons. Stars like Bay FC forward Asisat Oshoala and Washington Spirit signing Gift Monday have emphasized the importance of preparation in recent interviews.
“The year 2025 is going to be better. The mentality is different now, everyone wants to win, and the players are fighting for shirts because there is no automatic spot,” Oshoala said in January.
Monday echoed this sentiment: “The players are ready because we talk all the time. But it’s not about the mind alone; it’s about preparation. For me, with the right preparation and every other thing, we will be good to go to reclaim our crown.”
The Super Falcons’ dominance in African women’s football has already shown signs of waning. At the 2022 WAFCON in Morocco, they finished fourth after suffering defeats to South Africa in the group stage and to Zambia in the third-place playoff.
With only one international window remaining (May 26 to June 3) before the tournament begins in July, concerns are mounting about whether the team will have sufficient time to prepare for their challenge to reclaim the continental crown.
