NFF Set Up Committee to Investigate Super Falcons WAFCON 2026 and 2027 Women’s World Cup Failure
- The Nigeria Football Federation formed a six-member committee to probe the Super Falcons' worst-ever WAFCON exit
- Nigeria failed to qualify for the Women's World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991
- Committee member Desire Oparanozie called for a complete overhaul of the team's structure after the elimination
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has set up a fact-finding committee to investigate how the Super Falcons crashed out of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) without qualifying for the Women's World Cup.
The Super Falcons' campaign ended at the quarter-final stage after Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses knocked them out, denying them automatic qualification to the Women's World Cup.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria then entered the intercontinental playoff, where South Africa's Banyana Banyana defeated them in the first game to end any remaining hope of reaching the global tournament.
It marked the first time in the 14-edition history of WAFCON that Nigeria had failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals, and the first time since the Women's World Cup began in 1991 that the country would not be represented.
The result triggered widespread anger within the Nigerian football community, with many calling for the dismissal of head coach Justine Madugu and demanding that the NFF board resign over what they described as a systemic failure.
NFF set up fact-finding committee
The NFF released a statement confirming it appointed a six-member panel, chaired by Ambassador Fanny Amun, MON, to examine what went wrong at the tournament and submit recommendations to the federation.
The committee includes Mr Nasiru Jibril as secretary, with Ladan Bosso, Desire Oparanozie, Mutiu Adepoju, and Dr Alex Mana serving as members.
Oparanozie calls for fresh start
Former Super Falcons forward Desire Oparanozie, who sits on the newly formed committee, addressed the crisis on her X page, pointing to deeper structural problems behind the on-pitch collapse.
“No more survival on raw talent and past glory alone. As painful as this moment is, more pained on the lack of institutional structure. We need a fresh start; a start that evaluates everything. #UnavoidableTruth,” she wrote.
Her comments reflect concerns that Nigeria's women's football programme has long depended on individual quality rather than a coherent development system, a gap that the committee is now expected to address in its recommendations.
Madugu reacts to Super Falcons' failure
Legit.ng previously reported that Justine Madugu reacted after leading the Super Falcons to a poor outing at WAFCON 2026 and World Cup playoff failure.
The manager claimed that he takes responsibility for the disastrous campaign and apologised to Nigerians who were hurt by their performance.
Source: Legit.ng
