Nigeria: NFF sacks Super Falcons technical crew
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has sacked the entire technical crew of the Super Falcons with immediate effect following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The decision was announced by the NFF Executive Committee on Monday, days after Nigeria’s nine-time African champions suffered their worst performance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the NFF said: “The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the @NGSuper_Falcons to step down with immediate effect.
The Super Falcons entered the WAFCON as favorites and as the most decorated team in African women’s football. But their campaign fell apart early.
Nigeria were unconvincing throughout the tournament and were knocked out in the quarter-finals for the first time in their history after a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon.
That loss cost them an automatic ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil — the first time the Falcons have failed to qualify directly from the continental tournament.
They were pushed into the African playoffs, where they needed to beat South Africa’s Banyana Banyana to keep their World Cup hopes alive. They lost 2-1.
With that defeat, Nigeria’s run of 9 consecutive World Cup appearances came to an end. The Super Falcons will not feature in Brazil 2027.
The early exit and World Cup miss sparked heavy criticism from fans, former players and stakeholders who questioned the team’s preparation, tactics and player selection.
The NFF said the decision to relieve the technical crew was taken in the interest of rebuilding the team ahead of future competitions.
No replacement has been named yet, but the federation is expected to begin the process of hiring a new coaching staff in the coming weeks.
The Super Falcons remain the most successful team in African women’s football with 9 WAFCON titles. However, their dominance has come under threat in recent years with improved investment in women’s football across South Africa, Morocco, Zambia and Cameroon.
The World Cup miss is the lowest point for the team in decades and will likely trigger a wider review of the women’s national team program, including player development, funding and technical planning.
For now, the immediate focus will be on appointing a new crew to steady the ship and begin preparations for the next cycle of qualifiers.
