As the final women’s international football window of 2025 opens on Monday, the Super Falcons are in danger of missing yet another chance to regroup, with the Nigeria Football Federation still racing against time to secure friendly matches for the team.
The FIFA international break, which runs from November 24 to December 2, gives countries room to play at least two matches. But while several African nations have already confirmed their fixtures, Nigeria — Africa’s most successful women’s national team — remain without a single scheduled game.
Ghana, for instance, have booked a high-profile friendly against England on December 2, while Zambia, Kenya, and South Africa have also lined up opponents to keep their teams active.
When asked about Nigeria’s plans for the window, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau offered only a brief response: “We are checking.”
Sources within the federation revealed that the NFF actually had an agreement in place for a friendly match, but the opposing nation suddenly pulled out. According to reports from Nigeria Football, the withdrawal came after the rival team’s head coach insisted on facing a “lesser opponent,” opting against challenging the reigning African champions.
The setback now leaves the Super Falcons on the brink of losing a crucial opportunity to prepare ahead of next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Falcons secured their spot at the tournament in October, defeating the Benin Republic 3–1 on aggregate.
CAF has yet to announce the exact date for the 2026 WAFCON, which is expected to double as a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Should the tournament be moved away from March 2026, the Falcons might have to wait until then for their next chance to regroup — if they fail to secure a match this window.
Aside from their unbeaten WAFCON campaign earlier in July, the Falcons have played just three other matches in all of 2025. Despite the inactivity, they remain Africa’s top-ranked women’s team and sit 36th globally, according to FIFA’s August rankings. The next update is due December 11.
The current situation also raises questions about the NFF’s earlier promise. At the end of 2024, Gusau declared that the era of poor preparation for Nigeria’s national teams was over.
“The era of Nigerian teams arriving at major championships just to participate is gone. Our objective now is to strongly contend for honours, and that requires proper preparation,” he said at the time.
For now, those words are being put to the test — and the Super Falcons can only wait to see if the NFF can salvage what remains of the window.