Oshoala calls on fans to support Super Falcons ahead of South Africa match

Asisat Oshoala has called on Nigerians to support the Super Falcons as they prepare to face South Africa in an important 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off on Thursday. She said the team needs the nation’s backing more than ever with their World Cup dreams on the line.

The Falcons missed their chance for automatic qualification after a 1-0 loss to Cameroon in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Sunday. This defeat has made their path to the World Cup more difficult.

Nigeria is one of four teams that lost in the WAFCON quarter-finals. They will compete in two knockout play-off matches. The winners will move on to FIFA’s Intercontinental Play-Off Tournament, where three World Cup spots are up for grabs.

Oshoala recognized the disappointment from the Falcons' performance this year. She said the players are ready to fight back against South Africa and asked Nigerians to keep supporting the team.

“The only thing I can say right now is we need their support. The World Cup ticket is at stake, so this is the time when we really need everyone to support the team,” she said.

“We already know the Super Eagles didn’t qualify, so we know what is at stake and we know how Nigerians feel about this. We are sorry we lost this one, but the next game we will put in more effort and try to win the game.”

The Falcons find themselves in a new situation. They have never missed a Women’s World Cup since the tournament started in 1991. Nigeria is also one of only seven teams to have played in all nine editions of the competition.

That streak is now at risk, as the 10-time African champions must win in the play-offs to keep their record intact at the global tournament.

Their recent struggles at the WAFCON show that the gap in African women’s football is closing. Nigeria entered the tournament as defending champions and the continent’s leading team but faced defeats against Malawi and Cameroon.

Oshoala believes these results should remind Nigeria that they cannot depend only on their past success.

“Smaller nations are closing the gap for sure, but it’s also a wake-up call for us to put in effort knowing that there are other people who actually want to win this trophy. So we have to work harder now,” she said.