Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports, NIS, Rite Honourable, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has urged the Super Falcons of Nigeria not to give up on qualification for the 2027 World Cup despite the disappointment of crashing out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The former Deputy Governor of Edo State advised the Falcons to now focus on the playoff against Banyana Banyana of South Africa on Thursday at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
Shaibu stressed that the Super Falcons remain the most successful women’s team on the continent, having won the WAFCON a record 10 times so that pedigree should serve as motivation rather than a burden and spur them to victory over South Africa in the first playoff.
He also appealed to the coaches of the team and the entire technical crew not to allow their spirits to be dampened by the loss [to Cameroon noting that setbacks are part of sports, and the ability to bounce back defines champions.
Shaibu further stated that the players must carry the never-say-die Nigerian spirit into the crucial qualifier against South Africa as it was this attitude that was responsible for the country’s dominance in African women’s football over the years and must be replicated in the next match.
He also cautioned that rather than criticism, Nigerians should pray for the Falcons and rally behind them as they chase the World Cup ticket.
Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana will meet in the other World Cup playoff at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca also on Thursday.
The two winners from the playoffs involving the WAFCON 2026 quarter-final losers will feature in the FIFA Intercontinental Playoffs to seek qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil