Super Falcons Urged to Build New Era Ahead of Olympics

Former Super Falcons captains Desire Oparanozie, Patience Avre, and Kikelomo Ajayi have warned that Nigeria can no longer rely on past achievements as the team prepares for the 2028 Women’s Olympic qualifying campaign in October. This follows the Super Falcons' failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after their earliest exit at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently dismissed the technical crew led by coach Justine Madugu and others. Bukola Olopade, Director-General of the National Sports Commission, indicated that a new technical crew will be appointed before the qualifiers against Comoros, who advanced after a 30-0 aggregate victory over Sudan.

Ajayi emphasized the need for a renewed football culture, while Oparanozie called for a major rebuild and the appointment of a new coach. Avre stressed the importance of scrutinizing the entire team structure.