Nigerian football fans have expressed pride in the Super Falcons despite their narrow penalty shootout defeat to England in the Women's World Cup round of 16 on Monday. In the Lagos suburb of Shomolu, workers gathered around televisions to watch the match, with many praising the team's resilience against the European champions.
“I am very impressed with the team, they all gave their best for the country,” said 30-year-old Damilola Ogundeko. “Nobody could have imagined this game going to extra time and penalties.” The Super Falcons had earlier shocked co-hosts Australia and progressed from a group also containing Olympic champions Canada and Ireland.
In Abuja, researcher Funmi Obasa, 22, followed the match online. “It is a brave thing to face England, not concede a goal and take the match to penalties,” she said. “It would have been sweeter if we had won but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the players did well.”
The team’s campaign was overshadowed by complaints over unpaid allowances. Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura addressed the issue after Nigeria’s win over Australia, stating that prize money had been ringfenced for the players. Fans blamed the national football body for the defeat, citing a lack of official support.
“The odds were stacked against them,” Obasa added. “The government didn’t even support them; they were thinking of boycotting the match.” Nigeria’s women have won 11 of 14 Africa Cup of Nations titles, and their performance offered redemption after the men’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
“At least we all hoped, even when we were on our backs,” said 23-year-old Abdulrahman Adebayo. “Considering we were playing England, it felt like we could have won. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new era.”
