‘We will rebuild’ - Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade promises redemption after World Cup failure

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has delivered an emotional message to Nigerians following the team’s failure to qualify for the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.

The forward acknowledged the pain and disappointment surrounding the setback, accepting personal responsibility while insisting that the players will not allow the result to define the future of the national team.

Nigeria's hopes of maintaining their remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the Women's World Cup came to an end after losing to South Africa in the Africa play-off.

In an emotional statement addressed to the fans, Ajibade admitted that there was no way to disguise the significance of Nigeria's failure to reach the tournament.

“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 captain wrote.

Despite the outcome, the Super Falcons captain was keen to highlight the commitment shown by her teammates throughout WAFCON 2026.

According to Ajibade, the players gave everything they had in their attempt to deliver success for Nigeria.

“This team gave everything. Every training session, every match, every ounce of fight, nothing was held back. Sadly, sometimes the outcome doesn’t reflect the effort, and that’s football,” she said.

The former Robo Queens star also thanked her teammates for refusing to give up, regardless of the challenges they encountered during the tournament.

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

Ajibade also directed a heartfelt message towards Nigerian supporters, whose expectations and emotional investment in the Super Falcons remain enormous.

The captain acknowledged that the team felt the support from home throughout the tournament and expressed regret that the players could not reward that backing with the result the country wanted.

“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,” Ajibade said.

Although the disappointment is still fresh, Ajibade insists the Super Falcons' story is far from over.

The captain believes the team must now use the experience as a turning point and begin the difficult process of 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,” she declared.