The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has constituted a six-member fact-finding committee to investigate the recent poor performances of the country’s national teams in international competitions.
The committee will examine the factors responsible for the setbacks recorded by Nigeria’s national teams, with particular attention to the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The development follows Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the ongoing 14th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, in Morocco. The Super Falcons, who are 10-time African champions and the holders of the continental title, were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Following their exit from the tournament, Nigeria faced South Africa in a playoff for a place in the FIFA Inter-Confederation Playoffs scheduled for later this year. The Super Falcons suffered a 1-2 defeat, ending their hopes of securing a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The failure means Nigeria will miss the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the competition was inaugurated in 1991. The setback has generated concerns over the state of women’s football and the broader performance of Nigeria’s national teams.
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The NFF said the newly constituted committee would investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent setbacks and identify areas that require improvement.
The committee is headed by former NFF General Secretary, Fanny Amun. Former Nigeria U-20 coach and President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Ladan Bosso, is also a member.
Other members include former Super Falcons captain, Desire Oparanozie, and former Super Eagles captain, Mutiu Adepoju. Former FIFA referee, Alex Mana, is also part of the committee.
The Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, Nasir Sa’idu, will serve as the secretary of the committee.
The federation said the committee would assess the factors responsible for the recent performances of Nigeria’s national teams and make recommendations aimed at improving results in future competitions.
The assignment is expected to provide the NFF with an assessment of the challenges affecting the national teams and possible measures to address them.
The committee’s work comes at a crucial period for Nigerian football, particularly following the Super Falcons’ failure to maintain the country’s longstanding record of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The NFF said the recommendations from the committee would be considered as part of efforts to strengthen the national teams and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in future international competitions.
NAN
