The Nigeria Football Federation has established a fact-finding committee to investigate the country’s poor run in international competitions, with specific focus on the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Former NFF General Secretary Ambassador Fanny Amun will chair the seven-member panel tasked with identifying the root causes of Nigeria’s football setbacks.
The committee will examine the unwholesome poor run of the country’s national teams in international competitions. The Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals is a specific area of focus.
The Super Falcons, ten-time champions and holders of the Women Africa Cup of Nations, were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the ongoing 14th edition in Morocco. They then lost 1-2 to South Africa in a play-off to enter the Inter-Confederations Playoffs scheduled for later this year.
The defeat means Nigeria, hitherto the supreme power of African women’s football, will not be at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil. This is the first time Nigeria will miss the tournament since it was launched in 1991.
The committee’s membership
The fact-finding committee is composed of experienced football figures:
- Ambassador Fanny Amun, MON – Chairman, former NFF General Secretary
- Coach Ladan Bosso – Member, former Nigeria U20 tactician and president of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association
- Miss Desire Oparanozie – Member, former Super Falcons captain, multiple WAFCON winner and FIFA World Cup star
- Mr. Mutiu Adepoju – Member, former Super Eagles captain, AFCON winner and FIFA World Cup star
- Dr. Alex Mana – Member, former FIFA referee
- Mallam Nasir Sa’idu – Secretary, Chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association
The committee’s formation follows a period of setbacks for Nigerian football. The Super Eagles missed the 2026 World Cup, the U17 team failed to qualify for three consecutive World Cups, and the U20 team missed both the AFCON and FIFA U20 World Cup. The Flying Eagles also failed to qualify for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons’ worst-ever WAFCON outing, where they lost three games and scored just one goal in two knockout matches, has added to the growing frustration among Nigerian football stakeholders.
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The committee is expected to conduct a thorough investigation and submit recommendations to the NFF. The findings could change the future direction of Nigerian football, particularly in addressing the systemic issues that have led to the decline of the country’s national teams.
