Nigeria Super Falcons performance and CAF Award nominations

The Nigerian women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, experienced contrasting outcomes regarding tournament performance and financial incentives.

Following a victory at the 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in July 2025, President Bola Tinubu fulfilled a pledge to reward players with the naira equivalent of $100,000 each. The reward package also included $50,000 for technical crew members, apartments in Abuja, and national honors. The Nigerian government has since completed the disbursement of these financial rewards.

However, the team later failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after losing to Cameroon and South Africa during the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco. This failure resulted in the loss of a $2.5 million FIFA preparation grant. In response to the qualification failure, the Nigeria Football Federation requested the resignation of head coach Justine Madugu and his technical crew, while establishing a fact-finding committee to investigate the campaign.

In November 2026, the Super Falcons secured nominations in three of the four women’s categories for the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards. The team was shortlisted for the Women’s National Team of the Year. Individual nominees include goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, as well as Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei for Women’s Young Player of the Year. Notably, no Nigerian player received a nomination for the Women’s Player of the Year award, marking a departure from the nation’s history of producing 13 winners. The awards ceremony is scheduled for December 7, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria.