Nigeria’s Super Falcons will begin their quest for a place at the 2028 Summer Olympics against either Sudan or Comoros in the second round of the African women’s football qualifiers.
The draw for the qualification series was held in Cairo, Egypt, confirming Nigeria’s path in a campaign that will ultimately produce the continent’s two representatives at the Olympics in Los Angeles.
Ranked as Africa’s top women’s national team and widely regarded as the continent’s most successful side, the Super Falcons were granted a bye into the second round. This exemption means they will avoid the preliminary stage, where the six lowest-ranked teams, including Sudan and Comoros are set to battle for progression.
The qualification tournament features 35 nations and will be played across five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, stretching from 2026 into 2027. The three winners from the preliminary round will advance to join top seeds Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana in the second round, scheduled for October 5–13, 2026.
At that stage, 32 teams will compete, with 16 advancing to the third round. The competition will then be narrowed down progressively from 16 to 8 teams in the third round, to 4 in the fourth before the decisive final round determines the two teams that will represent Africa at the Olympics.
Nigeria will enter the qualifiers as one of the favourites, given their pedigree and dominance in African women’s football. However, the knockout format leaves no room for complacency, as each round will be decided over two legs.
The Super Falcons are aiming to improve on their most recent Olympic outing at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where they were eliminated at the group stage after three defeats.
Their best performance at the Olympics remains the 2004 Summer Olympics, where they reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to Germany.
With the road to Los Angeles now defined, attention will turn to preparation as Nigeria looks to secure a return to the Olympic stage and contend among the world’s elite once again.
