Nigeria women’s national football team captain Rasheedat Ajibade has criticised the Nigerian Football Federation over what she describes as poor preparation for the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament, originally scheduled for March, has been postponed and will now run from July 26 to August 16 in Morocco.
Despite being defending champions, the Super Falcons have struggled to secure international friendlies in the build-up. Plans for two matches against Cape Verde on April 15 and 18 have also been cancelled.
The team is expected to open camp in Abuja this weekend, but Ajibade has expressed frustration over the lack of adequate preparation ahead of the competition.
“We are not just preparing for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, we are also fighting for World Cup qualification.”
“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?” the Paris Saint-Germain player wrote on her Instagram page.
The semifinalists in this year’s WAFCON will qualify to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
