AFCON 2025
Super Falcons midfielder Esther Okoronkwo has come under criticism from Nigerian fans following the team’s 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon at WAFCON 2026. Maéva Nyadjou’s 19th-minute free-kick proved decisive, ending Nigeria’s title defence and eliminating the Super Falcons from automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Nigeria controlled large periods of the match at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca but could not beat Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who made nine saves and was named Player of the Match. Head coach Justin Madugu introduced Okoronkwo, Asisat Oshoala, Uchenna Kanu and Toni Payne in search of an equaliser. The substitutions nearly produced a leveller in the 69th minute, when Kanu’s header from an Okoronkwo cross was denied by a reflex save from Bihina.
The match turned on a chance in the 92nd minute. Okoronkwo received the ball inside the Cameroon penalty area with Oshoala positioned favourably for a pass. She opted to shoot instead and missed the target narrowly. Oshoala’s reaction on the pitch suggested she had expected the ball to be played across to her.
The moment became a focal point for fan criticism on social media after the final whistle, with some supporters questioning Okoronkwo’s decision-making in the closing stages and arguing that a pass to Oshoala offered a clearer route to an equaliser.
The result carries consequences beyond the tournament. Only the four WAFCON 2026 semi-finalists qualify automatically for the expanded 2027 World Cup, and Cameroon’s win secured one of those places at Nigeria’s expense. The Super Falcons, ten-time African champions, will now need an alternative path to next year’s tournament.
The exit also raises broader questions about Nigeria’s campaign. Madugu used several different midfield combinations throughout the competition, which pointed to a team still searching for a settled system. It is the third consecutive major tournament, following results in Morocco in 2022 and again last year, in which the Super Falcons have shown vulnerabilities not typically associated with African football’s most successful side.
Okoronkwo’s tournament had already been affected by an unrelated incident earlier in the competition, when she faced online abuse after speaking publicly about a theft at the team’s hotel in Casablanca. The Nigeria Football Federation condemned that abuse at the time. She now returns to club duty with AFC Toronto following Nigeria’s elimination.
Want me to strip the racism/theft paragraph entirely, or keep it as background context?
