Super Falcons’ UK Training Tour Cancelled After Jamaica Pulls Out

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will no longer travel to the United Kingdom for their planned training tour later this month after Jamaica withdrew from the proposed friendly arrangement.

The tour, earlier scheduled to hold from May 23 to 28, was designed as part of the Super Falcons’ preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, which will also serve as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had organised the friendly following the team’s inactivity during the March FIFA international window, when previously planned matches failed to materialise.

Despite expectations that some regular squad members would miss the trip due to club commitments, head coach Justine Madugu was keen to use the opportunity to evaluate new players and test tactical options ahead of the continental tournament.

However, the proposed camping programme in the UK has now been cancelled after Jamaica backed out of the arrangement.

According to a top NFF official who spoke anonymously, the idea for the friendly originally came from the Jamaican Football Federation because many of their players are based in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom.

“The initial plan for the friendly in the UK was proposed by our Jamaican counterparts considering the huge number of their players in Europe, especially in the UK. However, discussions were still ongoing before the match was eventually cancelled due to some administrative issues,” the official said.

The official added that although the cancelled friendly would have provided an opportunity to assess fresh talents and improve preparations for WAFCON, attention has now shifted to the June FIFA international window.

“We are now focused on the June window as plans are underway to secure two-legged friendly matches in Nigeria against another WAFCON-bound team. The process is already being finalised,” the official added.

Nigeria remain the reigning African champions after securing a record-extending 10th WAFCON title, with the coaching crew continuing efforts to strengthen the squad for upcoming international competitions.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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