The Super Falcons and women's football in Nigeria
Nigeria's women's national team, the Super Falcons, is the most successful team in African women's football. This guide covers the basics for new fans: how the team has performed, what the main competitions are and where to follow women's football.
The Super Falcons
The Super Falcons are Nigeria's senior women's national team. They have won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, known as WAFCON, more times than any other country, and they are a regular at the continent's top level. Nigeria has also appeared at the FIFA Women's World Cup in every edition through 2023, making it the only African team to have played at every one.
Nigeria's best result at the World Cup came in 1999, when the team reached the quarter-finals. The team has qualified for the knockout rounds on other occasions, including a run to the round of 16 in 2019 and 2023.
Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)
WAFCON is the main tournament for women's national teams in Africa. It is played every two years, though the dates have changed over time, and it also acts as the qualifier for the FIFA Women's World Cup. Teams play in groups followed by knockout rounds and a final.
Domestic football
Nigeria has its own women's league, the Nigeria Women's Football League, and clubs compete for the league title and a cup. The standard has risen over the years, and many players use the league as a stepping stone to clubs in Europe, the United States and other countries.
Youth teams
Nigeria also has women's teams at under-17 and under-20 level, known as the Flamingos and the Falconets. They play in continental qualifiers and in the FIFA youth World Cups, and many senior players first came through these teams.
The Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is played every four years, with 32 teams since 2023. Africa has a set number of places, and teams earn them through the continental qualifying system. Nigeria's consistency means it is usually among the favourites to qualify from Africa.
How the rules differ from the men's game
The laws of the game are the same for women's and men's football. The pitch, the ball size and the match length are all the same. The major differences are in the schedule, the number of matches, and the amount of money and coverage involved.
Where to follow
Women's matches are shown on ScoreHub when the data provider covers them. You can find the Super Falcons in the national team fixtures, and follow the team to get alerts for kick-off and goals. For competitions that are not covered in our data, check the CAF and FIFA websites for results.
Growing the game
Women's football has grown quickly in Africa and worldwide, with rising attendances and television audiences. If you support the Super Falcons, following the team and sharing the match with friends is a simple way to help the audience grow.