Ajibade Apologises To Nigerians After Super Falcons Miss World Cup

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has apologised to Nigerian football fans following the team’s failure to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, saying the players are determined to rebuild and return stronger.

In a statement on X, Ajibade acknowledged the disappointment of missing the tournament for the first time and said she personally took responsibility for the setback.

“This one hurts. There’s no way around that.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted, and for the first time, we won’t be at the World Cup.

“I carry that. I take it personally, and I know every member of this team does too.”

The Atletico Madrid midfielder, however, insisted that the Super Falcons gave their all throughout their campaign, despite falling short of their objective.

“But I want to say this clearly: this team gave everything. Every training session, every match, every ounce of fight, nothing was held back.

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“Sadly, sometimes the outcome doesn’t reflect the effort, and that’s football. It doesn’t make the disappointment less real, but it also doesn’t erase what this team is capable of.”

Ajibade also thanked her teammates and the coaching staff for their efforts during the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, while acknowledging the support of Nigerian fans.

“To my teammates at WAFCON 2026, thank you for fighting to the very last minute, every single game.

“To our coaches and staff, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, thank you 🙏🏽”

Addressing the fans directly, she apologised for not delivering the outcome they had hoped for and acknowledged their continued support of the team.

“And to our fans, who never stopped believing, even when it got hard, we felt every bit of your support, and we’re sorry we couldn’t give you the ending you deserved.”

The Super Falcons captain stressed that the setback would not mark the end of the team’s journey, promising that the players would return to work and focus on rebuilding.

“This isn’t the end of the Super Falcons’ story. We go back to work. We rebuild. We come back stronger, because that’s who we are.”

Ajibade said the team would now turn its attention to the Olympic qualifiers, which she described as an opportunity to redeem themselves and restore the confidence of their supporters.

“We now look forward to the Olympics Qualifiers. We believe it is a chance for redemption and we will rebuild this trust you’ve got in us brick by brick with God on our side.”

She concluded by thanking Nigerians for standing by the team and reaffirming her faith despite the disappointment.

“Thank you for standing with us. Always.

“It is all for the God’s glory and we will continue to thank him irrespective of the challenges and circumstances that surround us!

“Once again, Thank you and God bless us all.”