Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has called on her teammates to put their quarter-final defeat to Cameroon behind them and focus on securing victory against South Africa in their crucial 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off, NigeriaSoccernet.com reports.
Nigeria’s hopes of securing automatic qualification were dashed after the 10-time African champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Indomitable Lionesses in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Justine Madugu’s side still have another route to Brazil 2027 through the inter-confederation play-offs.
The Super Falcons must first overcome South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in Casablanca to advance to the mini-tournament and keep their World Cup ambitions alive.
Ajibade acknowledged the disappointment of the Cameroon defeat but insisted the team must quickly regroup and focus on the opportunity ahead.
“What has happened has happened. There’s nothing we can do about that. We can’t control it anymore. It’s all about putting ourselves together and getting the loss behind us,” Ajibade told a press conference.
The captain also urged her teammates to demonstrate the mentality expected of champions when they face South Africa.
“Sometimes champions are defined in the face of adversities. We just have to go back and prepare better. Being in the World Cup, honestly, in Nigeria, that is very important for us. So we’ll do our best.”
The decisive encounter will take place at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, with kick-off scheduled for 9pm Nigerian time.