Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has publicly called out the Nigeria Football Federation over what she described as a troubling lack of seriousness in preparing the team for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ajibade took to Instagram to voice her frustration, revealing that the federation had failed to officially inform players of key details, including the opening date of the national team camp and the friendly matches planned for the April international window, which runs from April 7 to 18.
She shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a conversation with an NFF official in which she was told only informally that the Super Falcons camp would open on April 11 a far cry from the formal communication players should expect.
The situation has been further complicated by a last-minute fixture collapse. Cape Verde, who were scheduled to face the Super Falcons in double-header friendlies, pulled out of the matches, leaving the NFF scrambling to find a replacement opponent.
An exasperated Ajibade did not hold back on social media. She questioned why a team preparing for WAFCON and fighting for World Cup qualification was not being treated with the seriousness and intensity such high stakes demand, writing on Instagram: “for how long?”
She was not alone teammates Ashleigh Plumptre and Rinsola Babajide also signaled their displeasure, with football journalist Osasu Obayiuwana accusing the NFF of “incompetence” in mismanaging the Falcons’ preparations.
The outcry comes at a particularly critical moment for Nigerian women’s football. WAFCON 2026 is not only a continental title defense it also serves as a direct qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four semi-finalists guaranteed automatic berths. Despite the enormity of what is at stake, the Falcons have played only three matches all year outside of their unbeaten WAFCON qualifying campaign.
With the tournament now rescheduled to July, pressure is mounting on the NFF to overhaul its approach and give Africa’s reigning champions the preparation their title defense demands.
