Nigeria’s Super Falcons have failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after losing 2-1 to South Africa in a continental playoff in Casablanca, Morocco.
The defeat at the Stade Moulay Rachid on Thursday means Nigeria will miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament was inaugurated in 1991.
The Super Falcons had been forced into the playoff route after suffering a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Only the four teams that reached the WAFCON semi-finals secured Africa’s automatic qualification places for the 2027 World Cup.
The four quarter-final losers, including Nigeria, were handed another opportunity to qualify through the longer inter-confederation playoff route, which offered three additional tickets.
Nigeria, however, failed to take advantage of the second chance after being drawn against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
The Falcons held South Africa at bay in the first half but conceded twice early in the second period.
Thembi Kgatlana opened the scoring before Refiloe Jane doubled South Africa’s advantage.
Christy Ucheibe pulled one back for Nigeria late in the game, but the Falcons could not find an equaliser to force the encounter into extra time.
The result sends Banyana Banyana into the first phase of the inter-confederation playoffs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Brazil in June next year.
For Nigeria, the defeat marks a historic setback as the Super Falcons end their unbroken record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since its inception.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
