Super Falcons midfielder Christy Ucheibe has apologised to Nigerians and admitted that there can be no excuses for Nigeria’s failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after their shock elimination from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The defending champions were beaten 1-0 by Cameroon in their quarter-final clash at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday, with Myriam Maeva Nyadjou’s thunderous 19th-minute strike enough to send the Indomitable Lionesses into the semi-finals.
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The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of retaining their continental crown and also denied the Super Falcons one of the four automatic World Cup tickets available to the WAFCON semi-finalists.
Ucheibe acknowledged that Nigeria gave everything in the contest but admitted that their efforts ultimately fell short.
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“We gave everything we had, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. There is no excuse. We are very disappointed because we wanted to go further and qualify automatically for the World Cup,” she said.
The Benfica midfielder also expressed regret to Nigerians, saying the squad understands the disappointment that followed their early exit.
“We are sorry to Nigerians that we couldn’t advance in the competition. We know how much the country expects from us, and we feel that disappointment as well,” she added.
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Nigeria had several opportunities to get back into the game but found Cameroon’s defence difficult to break down, with goalkeeper Michaely Bihina producing a standout performance.
Bihina made a spectacular save to deny Uchenna Kanu in the 70th minute, while Chiamaka Nnadozie was also called into action at the other end to prevent Cameroon from extending their lead.
Substitute Esther Okoronkwo came close to rescuing Nigeria late on, but her effort drifted narrowly wide with Asisat Oshoala waiting in a promising position for what could have been a simple tap-in.
Despite the disappointment of losing their quarter-final, Ucheibe insisted that Nigeria’s World Cup dream is not over.
The Super Falcons still have a second route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup through the CAF play-off system, which involves the four teams eliminated at the quarter-final stage.
READ ALSO: WAFCON 2026: Five things learnt as Cameroon end Super Falcons’ title defence
Nigeria will face South Africa, who lost to hosts Morocco in their own quarter-final, in the CAF play-off on Thursday, 13 August.
Victory would send the Super Falcons into the inter-confederation play-off pathway, where they will have another opportunity to secure qualification for the World Cup in Brazil.
Ucheibe urged her teammates to quickly put the defeat to Cameroon behind them and focus on the opportunity that remains.
“We have to move on now. The World Cup is still our target, and we have to fight for that opportunity in the play-offs.”
With their WAFCON title defence over, Nigeria now face another crucial battle against South Africa, with their historic record of qualifying
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