Nigeria’s Super Falcons continue to train in old match jerseys and improvised gear at the ongoing 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, as their new training kits remain held up by Moroccan customs authorities.
Despite assurances from Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau that the issue would be resolved by last Friday or Saturday, no progress has been made, according to team officials.
“The kit is in Casablanca. They are stuck with Moroccan customs,” a team source said. “DHLGlobal tried to deliver them to the players’ hotel but couldn’t. I even went to Rabat to meet with officials of the Moroccan football federation to seek help in releasing the kits.”
“Every country has its procedures. Sometimes they are simple, other times, complex. We were hopeful the situation would be resolved within a few days,” the source added.
UK-based Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana reported that the kits, supplied by Nike, arrived in Morocco a week ago but remain in the warehouse of Morocco’s customs agency, the Administration of Customs and Indirect Taxes (ADII).
The Falcons have already completed their group stage games in the competition.
“The kit arrived on Monday [after our first match],” NFF president Gusau confirmed. “It’s a logistics issue, the shipment was slightly delayed. And at times, coaches have to improvise when such things happen.”
Despite the setback, the Super Falcons have progressed to the quarter-finals and will face the runners-up from Group A on Thursday.
Nigeria remains the most dominant team in WAFCON history, having won nine of the 12 tournaments since it became a full-scale competition in 1998, and reaching at least the semi-finals in every edition they’ve participated in.