Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has reflected on the team’s disappointing campaign at the ongoing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Ajibade and her teammates failed to live up to expectations at the tournament, crashing out in the quarter-finals following a 1-0 defeat to the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
Justine Madugu’s side also missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Thursday night’s 2-1 defeat to Banyana Banyana of South Africa further ended the 10-time African champions’ hopes of securing a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Ajibade acknowledged the rapid growth of women’s football across Africa and stressed the need for the Super Falcons to prepare adequately for future tournaments.
“To be honest, my biggest lesson is just gratitude. We should be grateful,” Ajibade told reporters after the game against South Africa.
”We should learn not to be lax because the competition is fierce now. We must realize we’re not invincible; we just need to prepare more, get better, and demand more of ourselves individually and collectively.”
