Ex-Wolfsburg star names two things Super Falcons need after World Cup failure

Former Nigeria international Desire Oparanozie says the Super Falcons need two major changes after their failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.

Oparanozie believes Nigeria must bring in fresh young players and appoint a qualified coach to guide the team through the next reset.

The Super Falcons lost 2-1 to South Africa in their World Cup play-in tie in Morocco on Thursday. The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of playing at next year’s World Cup in Brazil. It also brought an unwanted end to one of the strongest records in women’s football, as Nigeria will miss the World Cup for the first time since making their debut in 1991.

South Africa took control after half-time. Thembi Kgatlana opened the scoring in the 56th minute before Refiloe Jane made it 2-0 in the 77th minute.

Christy Ucheibe pulled one goal back from the penalty spot in stoppage time, but Nigeria could not find another goal before the final whistle.

Oparanozie, who played for VfL Wolfsburg and was part of the German club's UEFA Women's Champions League-winning squad, said the Falcons did not start the match with enough urgency.

“It was a disappointing result for the Super Falcons,” Oparanozie said on Brila FM as per NaijaNews.

“The South Africans put up a good game for 90 minutes, I wished the Super Falcons players started the game the way they ended it because it was evident that they only react to situations.

“Moving forward I think right now the team needs fresh young players and also the team needs a qualified guardian.”

Super Falcons: Oparanozie wants a new generation and stronger coaching

Oparanozie's call for young players comes after a difficult WAFCON campaign that saw Nigeria struggle at key moments.

The Falcons opened their Group C campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Malawi, who were making their WAFCON debut. Nigeria recovered with a 1-0 victory over Zambia before producing their best performance of the group stage by beating Egypt 6-2.

That result sent Nigeria into the quarter-finals, but the tournament ended with a 1-0 defeat by Cameroon. It was a major setback for a team that had reached at least the semi-finals at every previous WAFCON since the competition began in 1998.

The failure in Morocco also had a direct effect on Nigeria's World Cup hopes. The 2026 WAFCON was used as Africa's qualifying route for the 2027 World Cup. The four semi-finalists earned automatic places. Morocco, Algeria, Malawi and Cameroon secured those four direct tickets.

South Africa and Ghana were given another route through the intercontinental play-offs, while Nigeria's defeat to Banyana Banyana ended its qualification campaign.

Oparanozie's experience gives weight to her assessment. She played for Nigeria at four World Cups, in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, and won the WAFCON four times.

She also scored the winning goal in the 84th minute of Nigeria's 2016 WAFCON final victory over hosts Cameroon and won the 2014 Golden Boot after scoring five goals. Her final appearance for Nigeria came at the 2023 World Cup against England, when the Falcons lost in a penalty shootout in the last 16.