Super Falcons forward Uchenna Kanu has revealed that the emotional impact of Nigeria’s WAFCON quarter-final defeat to Cameroon left some players unable to eat the following day.
Nigeria’s hopes of retaining the continental title ended in Casablanca after Cameroon secured a 1-0 victory. The result also denied the Super Falcons an automatic qualification spot for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cameroon advanced to the semi-finals and secured one of Africa’s automatic World Cup qualification places, while Nigeria were forced to take the playoff route.
Kanu said the disappointment was still evident in the Nigerian camp more than 24 hours after the defeat, with several players yet to fully recover from the setback.
“People are still in their feelings,” Kanu told ESPN on Tuesday.
“Some people didn’t even come out today for breakfast. Most of us, like myself, didn’t have breakfast. I didn’t show up to lunch.”
The Cruz Azul forward said she eventually ate later in the day but noted that many of her teammates were going through similar emotions.
“We’ve all been down,” she said.
Kanu, who entered the match in the 38th minute, said the players were devastated by the outcome.
“I cried my eyes out, so did my teammates. We felt really terrible,” she said.
“That was not the promise we made to Nigerians, and it was a very disappointing night for all of us.”
Cameroon took the lead in the 19th minute through Myriam Nyadjou and managed to withstand sustained pressure from Nigeria for the remainder of the encounter.
Despite the defeat, Kanu believes the Super Falcons delivered their strongest performance of the tournament but were unable to convert their display into a favourable result.
“I know my girls, we did really well. We played our best game so far, but it was not good enough to secure the ticket, and we were all disappointed,” she said.
The forward also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the playing surface and the match officiating.
“A lot of factors played into the game. The officiating was not the best we’ve seen. The officials were not at their best performance. Also, the field was not a great field, to be fair,” Kanu said.
Kanu, however, encouraged her teammates to learn from the setback and turn their attention to their next challenge against South Africa.
“We would take it as a lesson learned, and we build with it, and we look forward to putting everything right on Thursday, leaving everything on the field on Thursday against South Africa,” she said.
Nigeria will meet South Africa in the playoff, with the winner advancing to FIFA’s intercontinental playoff tournament for a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons have featured in every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched in 1991, and Kanu emphasised the need to preserve that record.
“Our main focus right now would be on Thursday’s game, and hopefully we progress from there,” she said.
“Hopefully, by the end of the game on Thursday, we would feel alive again.”
Although the loss ended Nigeria’s bid to retain their continental crown, the Super Falcons remain in contention for a place at the 2027 World Cup through the playoff route.
“Right now, emotions are very down. We’re putting our best, and we hope to eventually secure the ticket for the 2027 World Cup,” Kanu said.
