Rasheedat Ajibade has voiced strong frustration following the postponement of the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The captain of Nigeria’s Nigeria women’s national football team reacted after the Confederation of African Football confirmed that the 2026 edition of the competition in Morocco will no longer begin on March 17 as originally scheduled.
CAF announced that the tournament has been rescheduled to take place from July 25 to August 16, 2026, citing unforeseen circumstances following discussions with partners and stakeholders.
Ajibade took to social media shortly after the announcement to express her disappointment at the timing of the decision, which came less than two weeks before the competition was due to kick off.
“African women football deserves better,” the forward wrote, reflecting the frustration among players regarding the handling and planning of major women’s competitions on the continent.
The sudden postponement has generated concern among players, teams and fans, as several national teams had already begun preparations and travel arrangements for the tournament.
The competition, Africa’s premier women’s football event, also serves as a key pathway toward qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making the delay a significant disruption to many national team programmes.
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.
