•Francisca Ordega
Former Super Falcons forward Francisca Ordega has attributed Nigeria’s failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup to inadequate preparation for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons’ hopes of defending their continental title ended in disappointing fashion after they suffered a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon on Sunday, their earliest-ever exit from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Speaking to ESPN after the setback, Ordega was critical of the team’s preparation for the tournament, stressing that proper planning was essential given that World Cup qualification was at stake.
“Of course not,” Ordega said when asked if the team’s preparations had been good enough. “Of course not. I think it’s something we really need to talk about.”
She added, “If you’re coming for a World Cup competition or qualification, you have to prepare because everyone is coming here [with the] World Cup as everyone’s target.”
Ordega said the team must learn from the experience and improve its preparations going forward.
“Moving forward, we’ll be able to do better with our preparation,” she said.
The defeat to Cameroon ended Nigeria’s hopes of taking one of Africa’s automatic World Cup qualification places through the WAFCON.
However, the Falcons still have a chance to qualify for the 2027 tournament through the play-in round, where they are scheduled to face South Africa tomorrow.
