Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade says Nigeria are ready to put their disappointing WAFCON exit behind them and deliver when they face South Africa in a crucial 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup playoff in Casablanca on Thursday.
The 10-time African champions lost their automatic qualification opportunity after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria must now defeat Banyana Banyana at the Moulay Rachid Stadium to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 World Cup alive.
Ajibade acknowledged the pain of the Cameroon defeat but insisted that there is little value in dwelling on a result that cannot be changed.
The captain urged her teammates to regroup quickly and focus entirely on the opportunity that remains.
“What has happened has happened. There’s nothing we can do about that. We can’t control it anymore. It’s all about putting ourselves together and getting the loss behind us,” Ajibade told a press conference ahead of the encounter.
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Nigeria’s World Cup qualification record adds further significance to the fixture, with the Super Falcons having appeared at every edition of the women’s global tournament since its inception in 1991.
Ajibade knows the importance of maintaining that record and believes the team must respond positively to adversity.
“Sometimes champions are defined in the face of adversities. We just have to go back and prepare better,” she said.
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Victory over South Africa would send Nigeria into the inter-confederation playoff tournament, where another opportunity to secure a World Cup place will await.
Ajibade stressed that representing Nigeria at the World Cup remains a major priority for the team.
“Being in the World Cup, honestly, in Nigeria, that is very important for us. So we’ll do our best,” she added.
The encounter at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca is scheduled for 9pm Nigerian time.
