Nigerian football fans in the Lagos suburb of Shomolu had nothing but praise for their team after their narrow defeat on penalties to England in the Women’s World Cup on Monday.
The suburb, home to much of the country’s printing industry, is usually a hive of industrial activity, but many of its presses fell silent on Monday morning as workers gathered in groups around televisions to watch the Super Falcons take on the European champions in Brisbane.
“I am very impressed with the team, they all gave their best for the country,” said 30-year-old Damilola Ogundeko, reflecting on Nigeria’s defeat of co-hosts Australia on their way to qualification from a “group of death” that also included Ireland and the reigning Olympic champions, Canada.
“It was a tough match; they have played against very strong teams,” Ogundeko said. “Nobody could have imagined this game going to extra time and penalties.”
Many Nigerians said they were wary of the strength of an England team that had beaten China 6-1 on the way to topping Group D and scored first-half goals in eight consecutive matches prior to being kept out by Nigeria for 120 minutes.
In the capital, Abuja, Funmi Obasa had to work but keenly followed the match online by refreshing her browser every other minute. The defeat left a bittersweet taste for her.
“It is a brave thing to face England, not concede a goal and take the match to penalties,” the 22-year-old researcher said. “It would have been sweeter if we had won but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the players did well.”
The team’s progress to the knockout stages came against the backdrop of complaints about unpaid allowances.
After their win against Australia, the Fifa secretary general, Fatma Samoura, addressed the issue directly, telling the Nigerian players: “It is because of you that for the first time in the history of Fifa the prize money has been ringfenced to ensure that it goes to you.”
Fans back home blamed the national football body for the team’s defeat.
“The odds were stacked against them,” Obasa said. “They lost not because they were incapable of winning but because these things are interconnected. The government didn’t even support them; they were thinking of boycotting the match. Football is mental as much as it is physical.”
The women’s team has won more honours than their male counterparts, including 11 of the 14 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments staged since 1991. For a lot of fans, the performance of the women’s team has served as a redemption for recent failings by the men, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite Monday’s results the future looks bright.
“At least we all hoped, even when we were on our backs,” said 23-year-old Abdulrahman Adebayo. “Considering we were playing England, it felt like we could have won. That shows how much progress we have made. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new era.”
