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Sanusi: Super Falcons must turn WAFCON disappointment into World Cup qualification
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi says football can be harder to predict than science after the Super Falcons’ disappointing exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Sanusi acknowledged the frustration felt across Nigeria following the team’s departure from the tournament, but said the Super Falcons’ record in African women’s football means they face opponents who are especially motivated to beat them.
Nigeria are widely recognised as one of the continent’s most successful teams, and Sanusi believes opponents treat matches against them with the intensity of a major final.
“No Nigerian is happy about Nigeria leaving the WAFCON, but you know that any team coming to play against the Nigerian team, ten-time champion, will play as if they’re playing in the World Cup final,” Sanusi said.
His comments came after Cameroon ended the Super Falcons’ WAFCON reign, a result described as a setback to Nigeria’s knockout-stage history.
Sanusi used the disappointment to explain why football cannot always be assessed through preparation, calculation or expected outcomes. Although he described football as a science, he argued that its uncertainty makes it even more difficult to understand.
“I’ve always been saying that football is science, but more difficult than science because in science, when you add one to one, it gives two, or when you add two hydrogen to oxygen, it gives you water.”
He said that, unlike a scientific process where the same inputs are expected to produce the same result, football can offer a completely different conclusion despite careful planning and strong execution.
A team may prepare thoroughly, follow its tactical approach and create scoring opportunities, yet still fail to achieve the result its performance appears to deserve.
“But in football, you might get all your calculations correct and still don’t know if the outcome will be positive or negative and that’s what football has done to us.”
Super Falcons’ effort defended
The NFF general secretary also rejected any suggestion that the players had not given enough during the competition. Sanusi said the team’s performance showed commitment, but the goals required to change the outcome did not arrive.
“We can all see that the girls have given all their best, they played very well, but the goal did not come,” he said.
Rather than allowing the WAFCON disappointment to dominate the team’s thinking, Sanusi said the Super Falcons must now concentrate on the next major target: qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“We have to look forward to the playoffs and make sure that we qualify for the World Cup.”
The World Cup play-offs therefore give Nigeria the chance to respond to their early disappointment in the continental competition and pursue another opportunity to reach the global stage.
Sanusi also framed the result through his religious beliefs, saying that some outcomes ultimately lie beyond the control of players, coaches and officials.
“As religious people, we know that only what God has destined will happen, and that’s what has happened.”
For the NFF, the immediate priority is now preparation for the World Cup play-offs. The Super Falcons must put their WAFCON exit behind them and focus on securing qualification for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.
