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| Captain Ajibade |
Nigeria captain Rasheedat Ajibade has asked Nigerians to temper criticism of the Super Falcons after the team’s disappointing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations exit, calling the backlash unfair and urging understanding for the players’ sacrifices.
Nigeria were beaten 1-0 by Cameroon in the quarter-finals, a loss that cost them automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, The Punch reported.
The side now face a decisive match against South Africa in Casablanca today; a win would send them to the inter-confederation play-offs in November and December, where a World Cup berth can still be earned.
At Thursday’s pre-match press conference, Ajibade appealed for empathy, saying many fans don’t know what players endure to represent the nation. “Players put in everything on the pitch, and people will still say what they want to say. It is not fair,” she said, adding that both the team and country can do better.
Ajibade accepted that there is room for improvement but warned against excessive online criticism. “You have social media, but it doesn’t mean you should keep bashing people,” she said. “We know that all we are trying to do is make the nation proud. We are not going to the pitch to mess anybody up.”
She stressed that the players are as hungry for success as anyone and understand the responsibility of wearing the green and white.
The Super Falcons will aim to leave their WAFCON disappointment behind and beat South Africa to keep their 2027 World Cup hopes alive.
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