Rasheedat Ajibade Sets Women’s World Cup Target For Super Falcons

Super Falcons forward, Rasheedat Ajibade has stressed that the team’s focus is to go beyond the quarter-final round of the 2023 Women’s World currently ongoing in New Zealand and Australia.

Before that can happen, the Super Falcons have to assure themselves of qualifying from Group B by beating Australia later today.

Despite dominating in Africa with nine Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles, the best the Super Falcons have achieved at the world stage was a quarter-final exit in 1999.

After that, the Nigerian women’s team failed to advance beyond the group stages in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 before being eliminated in the round of 16 in 2019.

Ajibade is anticipated to return to Randy Waldrum’s starting lineup against Australia after missing the first game against Canada due to suspension.

Recall that both Ajibade and Halimatu Ayinde were sent off in last year’s WAFCON semi-final against Morocco and missed the third-placed match during the tournament.

Aside from making it out of the group stage, Rasheedat Ajibade, the Atletico Feminine forward, who joined coach Randy Waldrum for the pre-match press conference, emphasized the team’s determination to make an impression in Australia.

Ahead of the game against Australia, the forward said, “It’s amazing that Nigeria has qualified for all the World Cups and I think it is high time we get past the quarter-final stage which has been the highest level for us.

“This present squad, we are doing our best as we can and trying to make sure we get past that level. We don’t just want to participate as always, we want to pull the trigger this time.”