Nigeria’s Super Falcons don’t get as much attention as some of the women’s soccer heavyweights. They have yet to contend for a major title seriously, but they’re a powerhouse all their own. It’s only a matter of time before they narrow the gap between them and the top national team’s in the world even more.
- The Nigerian men’s soccer team is nicknamed “The Super Eagles.” When the women’s team started, fans did not call them the Lady Eagles, the Eaglettes, or even the Eagle Women. They’re called Nigeria’s Super Falcons. The nickname earmarked them for success.
- The Super Falcons are the powerhouse of Africa. They have won nine of the 11 total Africa Women Cup of Nations – making them the dominant team in African women’s soccer. Equatorial Guinea won the other two tournaments.
- The team, while the best in their region, has had difficulty breaking into world-level play. However, the Super Falcons have played in every world cup since 1991 and have made the Round of 16 three times. Their furthest run in a World Cup came in 1999 when they made it to the final four.
- Toni Payne, a young Nigerian-American player, has been making a splash at the club-level for Spain’s Sevilla since 2018. She was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, by her Nigerian parents. Despite playing for the USWNT at the youth level, she announced in 2019 she would play for the Super Falcons. On February 18th, 2021, Payne made her international debut.
- The Super Falcons are in a rebuilding phase. Striker Francisca Ordega told the press, “I will appeal to Nigerians to keep supporting us. We desire more positivity and no negativity from them. This is a new team and a new coach. They should not expect too much from us, but we will not disappoint”. Ordega herself harbors a dream of coaching the Super Falcons sometime in the future, but the team’s current coach is Randy Waldrum. NWSL fans will remember Waldrum as the former Houston Dash coach.
- Midfielder Perpetua Nkwocha is the club’s most decorated player. The four-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year played in three Olympics and four World Cups before retiring in 2015. She currently coaches the Swedish team Clemensnäs IF.
- The Nigerian midfielder to watch these days is Halimatu Ayinde. She once played for the Western New York Flash and now plays for Swedish team Eskilstuna United, who named her the 2020 Player of the Year.
- They are a team to watch. Joining veterans to some fast new players, the team hopes to raise its level and join the world’s top teams in the FIFA rankings. Keep an eye on the Nigeria Super Falcons.
Featured Image via Twitter @NGSuper_Falcons