Okunwa-Igunbor blames poor planning for Nigeria's 1-0 WAFCON 2026 exit

Gift Okunwa-Igunbor has criticised Nigeria’s preparation after the Super Falcons’ 1-0 quarter-final defeat by Cameroon ended their defence of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title. She believes the result shows that other African teams have narrowed the gap with Nigeria.

The former Super Falcons player said Nigeria can no longer rely on its traditional standing or the individual ability of its players. In her view, rival countries are investing more effort in their women’s football programmes, leaving Nigeria at risk of falling behind without a more structured approach.

Nigeria’s tournament exit was followed by a 2-1 loss to South Africa in the World Cup play-off. That defeat ended the Super Falcons’ record of qualifying for every previous edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and also confirmed that Nigeria will miss the 2027 tournament.

Okunwa-Igunbor has previously called for more international friendly matches and an earlier start to preparations. She had argued before the WAFCON that one preparatory tournament would not provide enough work for the squad before a major competition.

She now wants the authorities and the technical team to begin planning for the 2028 Olympic Games well before that qualification campaign arrives. The proposed work would include reviewing the squad, improving understanding between the players and finding footballers who can contribute to the team’s next phase.

The former international has also stressed that Nigeria must build a settled team rather than bring together talented individuals only when a major tournament is near. With the WAFCON disappointment and the missed 2027 World Cup place, she sees earlier planning, regular competition and stronger player development as necessary steps for the Super Falcons to regain their position in African women’s football.