Former Nigeria international Friday Ekpo has weighed in on the long-standing debate regarding the success gap between the Super Falcons and the Super Eagles, attributing the women’s dominance to an early start and a different competitive landscape.
The Super Falcons boast an unrivaled record on the continent, having secured 10 WAFCON titles—more than any other African team. They have also maintained a perfect qualification record for the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991 and remain the only African side to reach the quarter-finals of both the World Cup (1999) and the Olympic Games. In contrast, the Super Eagles have won three AFCON titles and made six World Cup appearances.
Speaking on The PlayZone podcast, Ekpo explained that the intensity of the men’s game across Africa makes silverware harder to come by. “The Super Falcons are more successful than the Super Eagles because we are so many in the men’s game; we fight for every cup but can’t get all,” he stated. He noted that African men’s football is becoming “stronger and thicker,” making it difficult to maintain the kind of dominance the Falcons once enjoyed.
Ekpo highlighted that Nigeria’s early investment in the women’s game provided a significant head start. “In African football then, we did not have many countries who were playing or exposed like the Nigerian girls,” he said, noting that by the time other nations caught up, Nigeria already had five or six trophies.
However, the former international warned that the gap is closing rapidly. He pointed to the rise of South Africa, Zambia, and Morocco as evidence of a shifting tide. “Now you can see the Zambians, South Africans, they are coming up so strongly… even Morocco of late, you see them playing as if they are men. They put their acts together,” Ekpo observed.
Despite the lopsided trophy cabinets, Ekpo urged fans to stop comparing the two teams, stressing that the dynamics of men’s and women’s football are distinct and that the men’s side is constantly working to equal the record of their female counterparts.