Nigeria’s Super Falcons have failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the CAF play-off at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Thursday.
The result ended Nigeria’s long-standing record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons had been given another opportunity to secure their place at the global tournament after their quarter-final loss to Cameroon ended their hopes of winning the WAFCON and automatically qualifying for the World Cup.
However, South Africa proved too strong in the crucial play-off, with Thembi Kgatlana opening the scoring in the 56th minute.
Refiloe Jane then extended Banyana Banyana’s lead in the 77th minute, putting South Africa in a commanding position.
Nigeria were handed a lifeline late in the game following a VAR intervention that resulted in a penalty for the Falcons and a red card for Jane.
Christy Ucheibe converted the spot-kick in added time, but Nigeria could not find a second goal before the final whistle.
The defeat means the Falcons will miss the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, ending their unprecedented run of qualification for the tournament.
South Africa will now progress to the intercontinental play-off tournament scheduled for November and December, where three teams will secure the remaining African places at the World Cup.
The outcome caps a disappointing WAFCON campaign for Nigeria, who entered the tournament as defending champions after securing a record-extending 10th continental title last year.
Justine Madugu’s side began their campaign with a shock 3-2 defeat to WAFCON debutants Malawi on July 28 before recovering with victories over Zambia and Egypt.
They eventually reached the quarter-finals but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon, their earliest exit in WAFCON history and a result that also ended Nigeria’s run of reaching at least the semi-finals at every previous edition.
