By Harry Awurumibe
Thirty-five years ago today (September 27, 1991) the pioneering squad of the Nigeria’s women’s national football team (later known as the Super Falcons) was preparing for their historic emergence on the global stage ahead of the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup finals held in China.
Also, to the pioneer players of Super Falcons, September 27, 1991, marks an important date in the foundational timeline of these trailblazers, who officially became Africa’s first representatives at a World Cup tournament later that year in China.
The first FIFA Women’s World Cup in China took place from November 16 to November 30, 1991but the world has already heard of the Super Falcons four months earlier after the newly formed women’s team led by early stars and captained by Nkiru Doris Okosieme (nicknamed Headmistress because of her penchant to score important goals via header), defeated Cameroon in the final round and two other opponents-Ghana and Guinea- to claim Africa’s sole qualification spot.
The team had gone through six African qualifying matches against Ghana, Guinea and Cameroon without losing any match, scoring a whopping 20 goals and conceding just twice with two clean slates in the qualifiers.
Eight African countries participated in the first FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers series namely Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria,
Senegal, Zambia and
Zimbabwe although four of the countries later withdrew from the race. They are Congo,
Senegal, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
Nigeria had in her first-ever international match walloped Ghana’s Black Queens 5-1 at National Stadium, Lagos on February 16, 1991 with a crowd of 55,000 fans in attendance including former 1st Lady of Nigeria late Mrs. Maryam Ibrahim Babangida.
Under the tutelage of former Green Eagles star and later coach Paul Ebiye Hamilton aka Wonder Boy, Super Falcons went to Accra Sports Stadium to defeat Black Queens 2-1on March 3,1991 to secure a 7-2 aggregate score.
In the semi final stage, Nigeria was in a devastating mood by hitting Guinea 3-0 in Lagos on May 4, 1991 and followed up with a 4-0 hammering of the home side at Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry on May 19, 1991 to complete a 7-0 aggregate score.
Nigeria was also in no compromising mood in the final round by beating Cameroon 2-0 on June 15, 1991at
National Stadium, Lagos and went goals-crazy in the return leg tie on June 30, 1991 at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé by humiliating the Indomitable Lionesses 4-0 in the presence of 30,000 home fans in attendance.
Nigeria secured a
6-0 goals aggregate and also qualified for the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China and thus grew into a behemoth over the years.
This includes the Super Falcons going 11 years without losing any match to an African opponent with their first loss to an African opposition being a 1-0 defeat by Ghana’s Black Queens.
Under coach Samuel Okpodu, Black Queens handed the Super Falcons their first-ever defeat in African tournament history with a 1-0 win courtesy of an Alberta Sackey goal at the Warri Township Stadium.
However, Super Falcons were so super when they met BlackQueens again in the finals of Africa Women Championship (AWC) now Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as Nigeria beat Ghana 2-0 to avenged the group-stage loss at the same venue on December 20, 2002.
Goalscorers were 4-time African Female Footballer of the Year Award Winner Perpetua Nkwocha and Effioanwan Ekpo scored the goals that secured Nigeria’s third consecutive continental title to retire the 1st CAF Women’s Trophy donated by Nigeria’s former 1st Lady Mrs. Maryam Sani Abacha in 1998.
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The Nigeria Super Falcons have won the WAFCON 10 times and 12 titles overall if you add 1991 and 1995 when the country emerged the sole African champions to represent the continent in the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in China and Sweden.
Also, Nigeria has twice retired the CAF premier women’s football trophy after winning consecutively in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2014, 2016, 2018 respectively. She also won in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2024 (played in 2025) before crashing out in the quarter-final stage in the last edition in Morocco in July 2027.
History will continue to remember the efforts of the pioneers of women’s football in Nigeria including former players, coaches, backroom staff, administrators, sports journalists and other stakeholders like members of Female Football Interest Group (FFIG) among them are Harry Awurumibe, Oba Sulaiman, Lorine Oyiwe, Dare Joseph, Toyin Ibitoye, Humphrey Njoku, coach Rollanson Odey, Tonnie Okpara and late comrades Henrietta Ukaigwe and Dapo Sotiminu, the list is long, as well as Dr. Rafiu Oladipo led Nigeria Football Supporters Club.
