Peter Ijeh criticises Super Falcons after South Africa defeat

Former Super Eagles forward Peter Ijeh has heavily criticised the Super Falcons following their 2–1 loss to South Africa. The defeat confirmed that Nigeria will miss the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ijeh argued that the national team lacked the necessary creativity and structure to challenge Banyana Banyana. He noted a significant absence of coordination in the Nigerian side, stating they failed to establish a clear attacking plan during the play-off match.

South Africa took the lead through Thembi Kgatlana in the 56th minute, and captain Refiloe Jane added a second goal in the 77th minute. Nigeria managed to score a late goal via a Christy Ucheibe penalty in the 89th minute after a VAR review for a handball by Jane, but the comeback was insufficient.

This result marks the first time in history that Nigeria will fail to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The team has participated in every tournament since the competition began in 1991.

Ijeh suggested that the team's performance raises concerns regarding their ability to compete at an elite level. He argued that even if Nigeria had progressed, their current style of play would have caused major problems against superior opponents.

The former striker believes this failure should act as a wake-up call for the nation. He indicated that Nigerian women's football now requires substantial improvements in technical and structural areas to address the issues seen in this campaign.