Nigeria’s women’s football continues to face questions over preparation and development despite the country’s abundance of talented players.
The Super Falcons remain one of Africa’s most successful women’s national teams, but recent setbacks have raised concerns about whether Nigeria is doing enough to develop its talent and prepare players for major competitions.
Stakeholders have pointed to inadequate planning, limited preparation time, grassroots challenges and weaknesses within the domestic football structure as some of the factors affecting the national team.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup has added to those concerns.
The setback followed the Super Falcons’ quarter-final elimination from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 1-0 to Cameroon.
The country’s talent pool remains strong, but stakeholders believe that more investment is needed to ensure young players receive quality coaching, regular competitive football and adequate facilities.
Hulayat Omidiran, Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, recently called for the rebuilding of women’s football through increased grassroots investment.
She stressed the need for early talent identification, quality coaching, proper facilities and regular competitions.
The concerns highlight the need for a more consistent development system rather than relying mainly on individual talent.
With Nigeria still producing promising female footballers, better preparation and long-term investment could help the country restore its position among the leading teams in African women’s football.
COURTESY: ChoiceBrown
