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Nnadozie urges Super Falcons to fight on after Cameroon defeat
Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie says “There is still hope” for the Super Falcons’ 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign despite their historic quarter-final exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The defending champions were beaten 1-0 by Cameroon in Casablanca, with Myriam Nyadjou’s spectacular 19th-minute free-kick deciding a tense match.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of retaining the WAFCON title and brought an unprecedented end to their record of reaching the semi-finals in every edition of the competition in which they have competed.
It also meant the Super Falcons missed out on one of Africa’s four automatic qualification places for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nnadozie, the Brighton Women’s FC goalkeeper, said Nigeria had given everything in their attempt to overturn the deficit but lacked the finishing required to save the game.
The Super Falcons created several opportunities during 90 minutes of pressure, yet Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina repeatedly intervened to protect her side’s lead.
Cameroon’s defence remained compact and disciplined as Nigeria pushed forward in search of an equaliser. The closest the Super Falcons came was late in the match, when substitute Esther Okoronkwo broke into the penalty area before seeing her effort roll narrowly wide.
That miss underlined a frustrating evening for Nigeria, who had entered the quarter-final knowing victory would both preserve their title defence and secure a place in the semi-finals.
A semi-final appearance would also have guaranteed qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Instead, Cameroon advanced after producing one of their most composed performances against Nigeria.
Nyadjou’s free-kick gave the Indomitable Lionesses an early advantage, and they absorbed sustained pressure for the remainder of the match. Bihina was particularly influential, making a series of important saves as Nigeria struggled to turn possession and attacking opportunities into a goal.
The result ended a major piece of WAFCON history for the Super Falcons. Nigeria had previously reached the semi-finals at every tournament in which they had taken part, but that sequence has now been broken.
Their failure to reach the last four also means they must take the longer qualification route if they are to preserve their record of appearing at every Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991.
That route begins against a familiar opponent.
Nigeria will play South Africa on Thursday in a crucial play-off, with their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup still alive.
Nnadozie believes the team cannot afford to dwell on the Cameroon loss, despite the pain of being eliminated from the continental tournament before the semi-finals for the first time.
The Super Falcons have little time to recover before facing another decisive test. Their immediate task is to assess the mistakes made against Cameroon, improve their finishing and respond against South Africa.
For Nigeria, Thursday offers the chance to begin repairing the damage caused by the quarter-final defeat. The automatic qualification opportunity has gone, but the goalkeeper insists the World Cup campaign is not over.
“There is still hope.”
