Avre, Ajayi back Nigeria ahead of W’Cup play-off

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Former Super Falcons players Patience Avre and Kikelomo Ajayi have expressed confidence that Nigeria can still secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, despite the 10-time African champions being forced into the play-off pathway following their quarter-final exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Avre, a four-time African champion with the Super Falcons, said the one-nil defeat to Cameroon was painful but insisted the team remained capable of responding.

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“The girls gave their best, but sometimes effort alone is not enough at this level. We have to learn from this setback, make the necessary changes and prepare properly for the World Cup play-offs,” Avre told our correspondent.

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“I still believe in the Super Falcons. This result hurts, but it should be a wake-up call, not the end of the story. Nigeria has the talent to rise again, but we must do the work both on and off the pitch.”

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Ajayi, a former Super Falcons captain, was unequivocal when asked directly whether she believed Nigeria could still qualify.

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“Yes, I believe we can. I don’t see it as losing our glory; I see it as a warning that the rest of Africa has caught up and become much more competitive,” she told PUNCH Sports Extra.

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“The Super Falcons have the talent, experience and pedigree to compete with the best. What we need now is a renewed football culture around the women’s national team; better planning, continuity, preparation, investment and accountability.”

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Ajayi added that the play-off route would demand more than talent alone from Nigeria when they face South Africa on Thursday.

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“The play-off route will demand maximum concentration, proper preparation, tactical discipline and, most importantly, a very strong mentality. At this stage, every match becomes a final. We have to approach it with determination, humility and the belief that we belong on the World Cup stage,” she said.

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Both women appealed to Nigerians to stand by the players ahead of the crucial fixture, with Ajayi urging fans not to “abandon the team because of one disappointment.”

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