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July is here, and with it comes a wave of women’s football across the continents – Europe, South America, and of course, Africa.
But for me, it’s all about Africa. The Super Falcons are heading to Morocco for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, running from 5 to 26 July. That’s the tournament that matters most right now.
As always, there’s expectation. Not just because Nigeria have history, but because this is a team that still carries the weight of a continent on its shoulders. Other nations are catching up, sure. But when you think of African women’s football, the Falcons are still the first name.
The paradox is hard to ignore: Africa’s most successful women’s football team, nine-time champions, are once again heading into a major tournament with the same old shadows hanging over them. Disorganisation. Neglect. Chaos. It’s all too familiar.
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Are you ready to go 1Up?! :heart_eyes: pic.twitter.com/wloeZqYWLx
There’s no doubt about the pedigree. They’ve won nine WAFCON titles, qualified for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and made three appearances at the Olympics. At the 2023 World Cup, they held Olympic champions Canada, stunned co-hosts Australia, and left unbeaten in the group stage before exiting narrowly in the Round of 16 to England on penalties. This is a team with bones made of steel and hearts full of fire.
But legacy doesn’t win tournaments. Preparation does. And this is where the cracks begin to show.
While Nigeria’s men’s team, the Super Eagles, were playing smooth friendlies in London and Russia this spring, the Falcons were dealing with venue changes, miscommunication, and the kind of amateurish scheduling that wouldn’t be acceptable for a high school team.
The team had back-to-back friendlies against Cameroon in Ogun State for May/June. The first leg that was to happen on 31 May was scrapped due to the Indomitable Lionesses arriving late. The second game went ahead on 3 June, but wasn’t smooth. It was messy. Both teams had to train in Ijebu Ode instead of the match venue in Abeokuta, which they didn’t even see until matchday. Kick-off was changed three times.
It was a mess. But somehow, the Falcons won 2–0.
That’s the thing about this team. They absorb pressure. They carry dysfunction like an extra kit bag. And they still find ways to win.
That resilience was on full display again in Lisbon last week, where they held Portugal to a goalless draw, they also beat Ghana on Sunday evening 3 -1 in a friendly game as they build up to their first game against Tunisia in Casablanca on Sunday 6 July.
The Super Falcons don’t thrive on chaos, they have just learned to survive in it. In a better-run world, they’d have proper camps, regular quality friendlies, the kind of backing their record demands. They are, after all, the country’s most successful football team. Arguably its proudest. Even ahead of the men.
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Are you ready for the knockout stages? ?
And yet, through all the noise and disorder, there’s still belief. There always is with the Super Falcons.
The talent is real. Rasheedat Ajibade is growing into a leader, all energy and edge. Chiamaka Nnadozie might just be the best goalkeeper in the women’s game right now. Asisat Oshoala, sharp, ruthless, the greatest African women’s player ever. And around them, there are players shaped by top leagues, carrying bite, quality, and something deeper, a sense of what it means to bne part of the team and to represent the Super Falcons.
They have faced a wave of new challenges. South Africa’s rise isn’t hype, Morocco are investing heavily. Zambia’s young squad is fearless. Cameroon are always dangerous. The rest of the continent is catching up, Nigeria can’t win on reputation alone.
But if this team finds its rhythm, they can achieve Mission X. Because what the Super Falcons carry can’t be undone by federation failings, it’s grit.
This WAFCON won’t just measure their football. It will measure how much more they are willing to take. It’s a mission born in imperfection, forged in resistance. It’s a mission that feels both impossible and inevitable.
And if any team can win when the odds feel crooked, when nothing adds up, it’s them.
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