Former Liverpool star, Rinsola Babajide, says she is ‘heartbroken’ after Nigeria’s hopes of playing at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup were ended by South Africa.
The AS Roma forward was part of the Super Falcons squad at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Nigeria’s quarter-final exit had already put their hopes of reaching the World Cup under pressure, but they still had a final route through the inter-confederation play-offs.
That chance disappeared on Thursday night when South Africa’s Banyana Banyana beat Nigeria 2-1 at the Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca.
Babajide did not have a major role in the tournament, starting two matches against Egypt and Cameroon and playing 124 minutes in total.
She did, however, make a strong impact in Nigeria’s 6-2 win over Egypt. The 28-year-old provided two assists and was named Player of the Match.
After the defeat by South Africa, Babajide used social media to reflect on a campaign that ended with Nigeria missing the World Cup for the first time since 2011.
“Heartbroken to say the least. It really hurts to miss out on a World Cup spot but grateful for the opportunity to represent my country at yet another WAFCON, unfortunately it didn’t go the way we’d of liked it to have gone,” Babajide wrote on X.
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The former England youth international then called on the team to respond positively to the disappointment.
“We might be down right now but we’ll definitely bounce back, the only way we know how to, the Naija way!
“Time to reset, reflect & work ahead towards the Olympic qualifiers. Thank you to everyone who supported us both in the stands and from home through it all. The journey has been real,” she added.
Recall that Babajide switched her international allegiance from England to Nigeria and was a member of the Super Falcons’ squad which won the 2024 WAFCON trophy under the tutelage of Justin Madugu.
