Oparanozie calls for youth and new coach after World Cup exit

Former Nigeria international Desire Oparanozie has identified two essential requirements for the Super Falcons following their failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The former Wolfsburg player stated that the national team needs to integrate fresh young players and appoint a qualified coach to lead the upcoming transition.

Nigeria's qualification hopes ended after a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in their World Cup play-in match in Morocco. Thembi Kgatlana scored in the 56th minute and Refiloe Jane added a second in the 77th minute to give South Africa the lead. Christy Ucheibe scored a stoppage-time penalty for Nigeria, but the team could not find an equaliser.

This loss means Nigeria will miss the World Cup for the first time since their debut in 1991. The 2026 WAFCON served as the qualifying route for the 2027 tournament, with the four semi-finalists—Morocco, Algeria, Malawi, and Cameroon—securing automatic spots. While South Africa and Ghana moved to intercontinental play-offs, Nigeria's defeat confirmed their exit.

Oparanozie, who represented Nigeria at four World Cups, noted that the team lacked urgency at the start of the match against South Africa. She observed that the players appeared to be reacting to situations rather than controlling the game.

The Super Falcons' recent struggles also extended to their WAFCON campaign. After losing their opening Group C match 3-2 to Malawi, Nigeria secured a 1-0 win over Zambia and a 6-2 victory against Egypt to reach the quarter-finals. However, a 1-0 loss to Cameroon ended their tournament, marking a setback for a side that had reached at least the semi-finals of every WAFCON since 1998.