The Nigeria Football Federation has issued a formal apology to President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians after the Super Falcons failed to secure direct qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, following a disappointing outing at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, tendered the apology on behalf of the federation’s executive committee, the Super Falcons and the wider Nigerian football family in a statement issued on Tuesday.

He acknowledged that the result had let down millions of Nigerians who had thrown their weight behind the team throughout the tournament, noting that the Falcons had gone into the competition carrying the weight of national expectation alongside strong backing from the Federal Government.

Gusau specifically referenced the goodwill the presidency has consistently shown Nigerian women’s football, recalling the honours, financial rewards and other gestures extended to the Super Falcons after their last WAFCON triumph. He said the federation felt it owed the President and the country a direct explanation and apology for falling short of the expectations that goodwill had set, describing the outcome as one the team deeply regrets.

The apology was also extended to the National Assembly, the National Sports Commission, sponsors, other football stakeholders, and Nigerian supporters both at home and in the diaspora.

Despite the setback, the NFF stressed that the Super Falcons’ World Cup dream is not over. Gusau explained that the team still has a route to the 2027 tournament through the CAF play-off pathway, where the Falcons will battle for one of two available play-off tickets before proceeding to a subsequent FIFA play-off tournament. He said the team, its technical crew and the federation remain fully committed to fighting for that alternative route to qualification.

The federation further promised a thorough internal review of the campaign, covering the team’s preparation, technical planning, logistics and overall operations, in order to identify what went wrong and correct it going forward. The NFF said it recognises the disappointment being felt across the country, adding that it shares in that frustration and takes responsibility for the outcome, while insisting that the team has no intention of giving up on its World Cup ambitions. It closed by thanking Nigerians for their continued support and urging fans to keep rallying behind the Super Falcons as they pursue a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

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