Nigeria’s Super Falcons have suffered another major setback after losing 2-1 to South Africa in a crucial CAF play-off in Casablanca on Thursday, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The defeat comes just days after the Falcons were knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations by Cameroon, who secured a narrow 1-0 victory in the quarter-final on Sunday.
That quarter-final defeat ended Nigeria’s run of reaching at least the semi-finals in every previous edition of the WAFCON and gave the 10-time African champions their worst-ever finish in the competition.
Nigeria still had another route to the 2027 World Cup through the play-off against South Africa, but the Falcons could not take advantage of the opportunity.
Thembi Kgatlana opened the scoring for South Africa in the 56th minute before Refiloe Jane doubled Banyana Banyana’s lead in the 77th minute.
Christy Ucheibe pulled one back for Nigeria from the penalty spot in added time, but the Falcons could not find an equaliser.
The result means Nigeria will miss the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991. The Falcons had featured in every edition of the competition before this setback.
South Africa, meanwhile, advance to the intercontinental play-off tournament, where they will have another opportunity to secure a place at the 2027 World Cup.
