Senator Shehu Sani has reignited national debate after pointing out the continued absence of Hausa and Fulani players in Nigeria’s women’s football team, the Super Falcons.
In a pointed message on Facebook the former Kaduna Central lawmaker urged young women in Northern Nigeria to shift their focus from social media to sports and aim to represent their communities at the national level.
“The absence of Hausa and Fulani young ladies in the Nigerian National Football Team, the FALCONS, is a challenge for them to play football… Please go off TikTok and represent us in the Falcons,” Sani wrote.
To drive home his message, he attached a picture of the Saudi Arabian women’s national football team, seen by many as a symbol of what is possible even within conservative Islamic societies.
Senator Shehu Sani Facebook post on the Super Falcons. Photo Credit: Facebook
Sani’s comments came just as the Super Falcons kicked off their campaign in Wafcon 2024.
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While the team boasts talent from Europe, North America, and the Middle East, it once again features no players of Hausa or Fulani background.
FULL SQUAD – SUPER FALCONS FOR WAFCON 2025
Goalkeepers:
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Free Agent, ex-Paris FC)
Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia)
Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons, Nigeria)
Defenders:
Osinachi Ohale (Pachuca CF, Mexico)
Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy)
Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA)
Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies FC, Saudi Arabia)
Sikiratu Isah (Nasarawa Amazons, Nigeria)
Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportif, Turkey)
Miracle Usani (Edo Queens, Nigeria)
Midfielders:
Rasheedat Ajibade (Free Agent, ex-Atletico Madrid)
Halimatu Ayinde (Rosenborg BK, Sweden)
Deborah Abiodun (Dallas Trinity, USA)
Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Toni Payne (Everton Ladies, England)
Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
Forwards:
Francisca Ordega (Ittihad Ladies FC, Saudi Arabia)
Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pachuca CF, Mexico)
Ifeoma Onumonu (Montpellier FC, France)
Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto, Canada)
Omorinsola Babajide (Costa Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain)
Folashade Ijamilusi (Liaoning Shenyang, China)
Chioma Okafor (University of Connecticut, USA)
The Super Falcons began their WAFCON journey with a confident 3-0 victory over Tunisia in Casablanca.
Goals from Asisat Oshoala, Rinsola Babajide, and Chinwendu Ihezuo secured the win.
Super Falcons train ahead of WAFCON 2024. Photo Credit: X
They face Botswana next, on Thursday but the questions raised by Sani linger off the pitch.
Many point to longstanding socio-religious and cultural factors that hinder the participation of Northern women in elite-level sports.
In much of Northern Nigeria, particularly in predominantly Muslim Hausa and Fulani communities, women’s participation in public sports is still viewed with suspicion or resistance.
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Halima Bala, a football lover in Kano, said the issue goes beyond talent.
“We have girls who love football, but they don’t have parental permission, school support, or even access to proper kits and facilities.
There’s fear of stigma, and sometimes outright bans from participating,” she told the The Athletics NG.
Sani’s Saudi Example: Cultural Change is Possible
Sani’s comparison with Saudi Arabia, a country that until recently barred women from stadiums has resonated.
Super Falcons players celebrating at Wafcon 2024. Photo Credit: X
With the Gulf nation now fielding a national women’s team, critics say Nigeria’s Northern communities can no longer claim tradition or religion as immovable barriers.
“When Saudi Arabia, a more conservative country, allows women to play, we should ask what’s holding us back,” read one comment under the senator’s post.
The Nigeria Football Federation has previously committed to expanding talent discovery across all six geopolitical zones.
