Ex-players warn Falcons ahead Olympics qualifier

Nigeria's Super Falcons face a critical juncture as former captains urge a departure from past glories ahead of their 2028 Women's Olympic qualifying campaign. The team's historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, ending a streak of appearances since 1991, has prompted a stark warning from ex-players.

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We have not lost our glory, but it is a warning that the rest of Africa has caught up and become much more competitive. That is actually good for African women’s football, but it also means Nigeria must raise its standards.

The Falcons suffered their earliest exit from the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, losing 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals. This defeat dashed their hopes of automatic qualification, and a subsequent 2-1 loss to South Africa in the CAF playoff in Casablanca sealed their fate. In response, the Nigeria Football Federation dismissed the technical crew, including coach Justine Madugu, goalkeeper coach Auwal Makwalla, and Swedish analysts Igor Krulj and Per Karlsson.

Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, indicated that a new technical crew will be in place before the Falcons resume Olympic qualifiers in October against Comoros. Former captain Patience Avre emphasized the need for Nigeria to "raise its standards" as other African nations have become more competitive. "The glory days should not simply be remembered; we should create a new era of glory," Avre told The PUNCH.

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The glory days should not simply be remembered; we should create a new era of glory.

Desire Oparanozie, part of the NFF's fact-finding committee, called for a "major rebuild" and urged the federation to appoint a new coach while giving more opportunities to younger players. "No more survival on raw talent and past glory alone," Oparanozie stated. "We need a fresh start; a start that evaluates everything."

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No more survival on raw talent and past glory alone. As painful as this moment is, we are more pained by the lack of institutional structure. We need a fresh start; a start that evaluates everything.