By IJEOMA OKIGBO

The Super Falcons’ disastrous 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations ( WAFCON) campaign in Morocco has ended an era of unprecedented Nigerian dominance, producing unwanted records for Africa’s successful side.

Nigeria, defending champions and 10-time winners, failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time, recording their worst-ever WAFCON finish, before losing 2-1 to South Africa in World Cup playoffs.

The South Africa defeat ended Nigeria’s unbroken appearance at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991, making Morocco 2026 a disatrous tournament in Falcons history.

For decades, reaching WAFCON’s latter stages and qualifying for every World Cup seemed automatic, reflecting Nigeria’s dominance.

Morocco 2026 changed that narrative, leaving the Falcons without either coveted achievement across Africa.

The campaign began with a 3-2 defeat by Malawi, exposing defensive and goalkeeping weaknesses that immediately placed Nigeria under pressure and contributed significantly to the subsequent tournament tailspin overall.

Nigeria recovered with a 1-0 victory over Zambia in spite of Oluwatosin Demehin’s dismissal, then thrashed Egypt 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals, briefly restoring confidence after their disappointing opening under mounting pressure.

However, the victory over Egypt could not disguise persistent defensive vulnerability, tactical uncertainty and inconsistent control, problems exposed when Cameroon secured a historic 1-0 quarter-final victory.

Nigeria’s defeat by Cameroon ended their title defence and, for the first time, prevented the Super Falcons from reaching the final four of Africa’s premier women’s tournament in WAFCON history.

The disappointment deepened in the game against South Africa, where Nigeria needed victory to preserve their World Cup record but lost 2-1, in spite of Christy Ucheibe’s late penalty giving them hope in added time.

Football stakeholders attributed the poor campaign to several factors, including inadequate NFF preparation, coaching decisions, defensive errors, insufficient tactical consistency etc. throughout the tournament.

In April, captain Rasheedat Ajibade publicly questioned Nigeria’s preparation ahead of WAFCON demanding greater seriousness, intensity and commitment from the NFF.

“We are not just preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, we are also fighting for World Cup qualification,’’ Ajibade posted on her Instagram story.

“Our performance at WAFCON will determine whether we qualify for the World Cup, so why are we not preparing with the seriousness and intensity this demands? This is not something to take lightly, for God’s sake!

“I can’t cry. What is all this and for how long?”

CAF postponed WAFCON from January to July, providing additional preparation time, but Nigeria’s planned friendlies against Cape Verde and Ghana were cancelled.

The Falcons eventually played a two-legged friendly against Senegal only days before WAFCON, raising concerns about preparation for a tournament that doubled as Africa’s World Cup qualifying competition in Morocco.

Veteran Francisca Ordega, speaking to ESPN after the team’s loss to Cameroon, also questioned preparations, saying:

“Of course not,” she began, when asked whether the team’s preparations were good enough, “of course not. I think it’s something we really need to talk about.

“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.

“Moving forward, we’ll be able to do better with our preparation,’’ she said.

Echoing similar views, journalist and football analyst Fisayo Dairo attributed the disappointing campaign to a combination of factors, including poor preparation, an ageing squad and tactical decisions.

“It was a result of all the factors. The preparation was not good enough. We missed FIFA windows for friendly matches and that’s on the part of the federation.

“The current squad also needs fresh legs.

“Over the years in Falcons, we hid under the notion that the older, the better. It is not the same case now; it is now the younger ones who thrive and crave for success.

“Some players in the squad have been there for years. The likes of Asisat Oshoala, Uchenna Kanu, Francisca Ordega and others have served Nigeria well, but when players are not performing optimally, why should we still keep them?

“Some players were also played out of their natural positions. Michelle Alozie was played at left-back, meanwhile, there are two natural left-backs, Rofiat Imuran and Glory Ogbonna, on the bench,” Dairo said.

On his part, Godwin Bamigboye, Chairman of the FCT Coaches Association, also said lack of preparation contributed to the team’s undoing in Morocco.

“The team did not prepare well, both individually and collectively. Preparation goes beyond physical fitness to mental, emotional and other aspects.

“Most of our players were out of form. Some of them also lacked game awareness and technicalities.

“The coach can only guide you. He cannot enter the pitch and help you to pass the ball accurately.

“Although the coach is not also free from blame. If a coach makes a substitution that does not help the team, then it can be questioned. I feel the technical crew could have done better,” Bamigboye said.

A football player Ebuka Dike said the Falcons’ struggles in Morocco could be traced to defensive and goalkeeping lapses, constant changes to the starting lineup and questionable tactical decisions.

“Nigeria’s campaign was undermined by defensive and goalkeeping errors, an unsettled lineup, players being deployed out of position and tactical decisions that affected both defensive stability and attacking effectiveness,” Dike said.

While proffering solutions, Dairo urged the NFF to improve planning and preparation for national teams, while also giving greater opportunities to emerging players from Nigeria’s junior sides.

“The federation should be more serious. I don’t know if we can vote them out, but the irony is, who then is the best fit?

“They need to do more. Prepare these teams early. Secure friendlies for them in good time.

“Also, we need to promote exceptional players from the junior national teams and not go to Europe to source already established players for either the Super Falcons or Super Eagles,” Dairo said.

Bamigboye also urged the federation to return to the drawing board, noting that there were no longer minnows in African women’s football and younger players needed integration.

“The solution should therefore go beyond blaming individual players or coaches and instead involve a comprehensive examination of Nigeria’s women’s football development and preparation structures.

“Morocco should become a turning point for the NFF to confront weaknesses that previous successes may have concealed for several years,” Bamigboye said.

NAN reports that although the Super Falcons’ historic achievements remain intact, this generation will inevitably be remembered for ending two extraordinary records that had appeared almost impossible to break.

Morocco 2026 has therefore become more than a disappointing tournament for Nigeria; it is a defining moment that demands honest reflection and decisive action from Nigerian football authorities. (NAN)