Former Super Falcons player Gift Okunwa-Igunbor has expressed disappointment with Nigeria’s performance at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, arguing that the country’s failure to prioritise quality preparation has allowed other African nations to close the gap.
The Super Falcons entered the tournament as defending champions but failed to reach the semi-finals after losing 1–0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
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Nigeria’s disappointment was compounded by a 2–1 defeat to South Africa in the subsequent World Cup play-off, ending the country’s unprecedented record of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Okunwa-Igunbor said the outcome was particularly concerning because several African countries have been making significant efforts to improve their women’s football structures and preparation.
She believes Nigeria can no longer depend on its historical dominance or the individual quality of its players.
“Other countries have been working very hard to match Nigeria. We have to start taking our preparations more seriously.”
The former international has repeatedly called for more quality friendly matches and earlier preparation for the Super Falcons. Earlier this year, she argued that Nigeria needed additional international friendlies ahead of the WAFCON because a single preparatory tournament would not be enough to properly prepare the squad.
She had also previously warned that other African nations were improving rapidly and that Nigeria needed to “level up” its preparations if it wanted to maintain its position at the top of the continent.
Okunwa-Igunbor believes the Super Falcons’ latest setback should now force the authorities to begin preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games much earlier.
Rather than waiting until the next major competition approaches, she wants the technical team and football authorities to use the coming months to assess the squad, improve cohesion and identify players capable of taking the team forward.
The former Super Falcons player has also previously stressed the importance of squad cohesion, arguing that Nigeria needs to develop a team rather than simply assemble talented individuals for major tournaments.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2027 World Cup has made the need for long-term planning even more urgent.
The Super Falcons will now have to redirect their attention towards the next qualification cycle, while Nigerian football faces growing questions over preparation, player development and the technical direction of the women’s national team.
For Okunwa-Igunbor, the WAFCON disappointment should be a warning that Nigeria must prepare earlier, compete more regularly and adapt to the rapidly improving standard of women’s football across Africa.
