The headline item of the Super Falcons squad reveal for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) was the return of Asisat Oshoala.
On the one hand, it was to be expected. The Bay FC star is a six-time CAF Player of the Year, has bags of experience and carries an undeniable aura about her. Considering the fact that the squad contains as many as 11 players making their debuts at the continental showpiece, some nous is not a bad thing.
On the other hand, however, it was a decision that betrayed an unfortunate lack of courage.
⭐️ Super Zee returns for her 6th WAFCON
🆕 11 debutants ready to make their mark
🇳🇬 3 NWFL stars repping the home frontThese are Justin Madugu’s heroes for #MissionX
The quest for a historic 10th title begins now 🏆#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 #SoarSuperFalcons pic.twitter.com/tioyU5cCmR— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) June 20, 2025
Oshoala last featured for the Super Falcons, in any capacity, at the 2024 Olympics football event. There, she played just under half the available minutes, but aside from a brief spell in the second match against Spain, did nothing to dispel the notion that her best days may be firmly in the rear view.
Asisat Oshoala: Is she still fit for the big time?
It has not been a sudden decline, by the way. At the World Cup in 2023, while she scored the third in the Super Falcons’ 3-2 victory over host nation Australia, it was evident that the team’s best performances from an attacking perspective came with her on the bench. In the Round of 16 tie against England, it can be argued that, after a dominant first half, Nigeria lost their way somewhat following the introduction of Oshoala midway through the second period, and never regained it even after the Lionesses went down to 10 men.
It would be fair to point out that there have been fitness concerns over the former Barcelona star going into the last couple of tournaments. Class, they say, is permanent. And, as established already, the sheer weight of experience she brings to the table should count for something. In spite of that, however, to see the 30-year-old simply waltz into the team, having played no part in the smattering of fixtures the team has been afforded over the last year leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
There is a sense in which Oshoala is now too big time for such mundane concerns as friendlies and qualifiers. Considering all she has achieved and what she represents still, one would be inclined to say “fair enough” if she was still at least justifying the special treatment by turning it on under the bright lights. She is not; if anything, her infusion into the mix seems to upset the existing balance of things, and to continue in this vein will, in no time, foment disharmony and resentment within the squad.
Coach Justin Madugu has spent the best part of nine months tweaking and finetuning, to the degree that he can do that with the benefit of less than five warm-up matches, without Nigeria’s biggest star. To simply capitulate and put her in there when a tournament comes around is simply proof that there are too few stiff spines calling the shots in the Super Falcons. If she were to be named in the starting XI against Tunisia on July 6, that would just take the cake.
