Forward, Ifeoma Onumonu is unhappy with the Super Falcons’ preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Super Falcons did not have the best of preparations leading to the tournament no thanks to lack of funding from the Federation.

However, the team exceeded expectations at the World Cup, reaching the last 16 before crashing out to England after a thrilling contest in the round of 16.​

Onumonu expressed her disappointment, calling on the Federation to invest more in women’s football.

“[Back home] the [pitches] aren’t great. The grass is rocky, bumps everywhere. The stadium we play on for qualifying – you’d be surprised. I was surprised. You don’t even know where the ball is going to jump at you.

“Our under-20s went far in their World Cup and when they were sent home they were sleeping in airports for 24 hours. That’s not acceptable. What we have to fight for is bigger for us.”

On their outing in Australia, The forward said, African teams are gradually closing the gap on their European counterparts.

“We’re on the rise and it’s growing. A lot of people don’t watch as much as they do Europe and so underestimate who we are, what we are capable of. No one believed in us and now a lot of people are.

“Other teams are catching up and growing, including us. There’s no longer going to be that one team that you are absolutely going to say they’re going to win. Every game will become a battle. Every game has become important.​

“As women start to play more internationals and at clubs, more and more teams are going to catch up. There’s a shift,” She concluded.