Nigeria forward Esther Okoronkwo has declared that Nigeria are determined to defend their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title and secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, insisting the team’s mentality and unity will be crucial to achieving both objectives.
The AFC Toronto attacker, who starred in Nigeria’s historic 10th continental triumph by finishing as the tournament’s leading assist provider, said the Super Falcons are embracing the pressure that comes with being African champions and are fully focused on making more history.
“We want to repeat history and win it again. It is always good to win back-to-back titles,” Okoronkwo told CAFOnline.com.
“There is pressure, but we want to retain the trophy. My role is to help the team, just as I expect the other ten players on the field to do.
“Attitude and mentality will play a huge part. As long as we all have the right attitude and mentality, we will be fine. There will always be pressure. What matters is how we handle it as a team.”
Looking beyond continental success, the 28-year-old emphasized that qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup remains Nigeria’s primary objective, acknowledging that competition for Africa’s qualification places will be fierce.
“Qualification for the World Cup is the ultimate goal. Every other country will also fight for one of the four qualification places. It will be an exciting and significant tournament, and I am looking forward to it,” she added.
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.
