Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has hit back at the criticism directed at the team following their disappointing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign, describing the backlash as unfair.According to a report by The Punch, Nigeria missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after suffering a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon on Sunday.The Falcons now have another opportunity to keep their World Cup hopes alive when they face South Africa in Casablanca on Thursday [today]. A victory would send Nigeria into the FIFA inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for November and December, where they can still secure a place at the tournament in Brazil.Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the South Africa clash, Ajibade urged Nigerians to understand the sacrifices players make while representing the country.“A lot of people do not know what players are going through to come and represent the country. Players put in everything on the pitch, and people will still say what they want to say. It is not fair, and we can do better as a person, as a nation,” Ajibade said.She acknowledged that the team could improve but appealed to supporters to avoid excessive criticism, particularly on social media.“You have social media, but it doesn’t mean you should keep bashing people,” she said.“For us, we have seen all of those things, and we know that all we are trying to do is make the nation proud. We are not going to the pitch to mess anybody up,” she added.Ajibade stressed that the players are equally desperate for success and understand the importance of representing Nigeria.The Falcons will now look to put their WAFCON disappointment behind them and beat South Africa to keep their 2027 World Cup dream alive.
