Super Falcons forward Uchenna Kanu has apologised to Nigerians after Nigeria’s disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Kanu reacted after Nigeria lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the WAFCON quarter-finals and then suffered a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup play-off.
The forward admitted that the players failed to achieve their targets despite their efforts in Morocco.
“We gave everything but still wasn’t enough.”
Kanu also apologised to Nigerian fans who backed the Super Falcons throughout the tournament.
“This is a painful chapter, but it will not define us.”
She said the players would learn from the defeats and prepare for their next assignments.
“We will reflect, regroup, and come back stronger.”
Kanu had earlier spoken about the disappointment within the squad after the defeat to Cameroon. She said some players struggled to eat the following day because of the result.
“We are still sad. I’m still sad.”
The Super Falcons entered the 2026 WAFCON as defending champions but lost 3-2 to Malawi in their opening Group C match. Nigeria then defeated Zambia and Egypt to reach the quarter-finals.
However, Cameroon stopped Nigeria from reaching the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory. The defeat also ended Nigeria’s automatic route to the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria then faced South Africa in the World Cup play-off for another chance to qualify. South Africa won 2-1, with Christy Ucheibe scoring Nigeria’s only goal.
As a result, Nigeria will miss the 2027 Women’s World Cup, ending its run of appearances at every edition of the tournament since 1991.
Kanu has now called for the team to regroup and return stronger in its next international assignments.
