Kanu revealed the emotional toll of Nigeria’s WAFCON quarter-final defeat to Cameroon
The pain of Nigeria’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final elimination has extended far beyond the pitch, with Super Falcons forward Uchenna Kanu revealing that some players were too devastated even to eat the following day.
Nigeria’s hopes of defending their continental crown were ended by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in Casablanca on Sunday.
The loss was particularly damaging because it also denied Nigeria automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
‘Some People didn’t even come out for Breakfast’ – Kanu
Kanu provided an insight into the mood inside the Nigerian camp, revealing just how deeply the defeat affected the players.
Speaking to ESPN, the forward said several members of the squad struggled to face the day after the heartbreaking loss.
She said, “People are still in their feelings. Some people didn’t even come out today for breakfast. Most of us, like myself, didn’t have breakfast. I didn’t show up to lunch.”
The forward eventually managed to eat later in the day, but acknowledged that the disappointment remained overwhelming for many of her teammates.
“We’ve all been down. I cried my eyes out, so did my teammates. We felt really terrible.”
Nigeria endured a difficult tournament, suffering a shock opening defeat to Malawi before recovering with victories over Zambia and Egypt.
The 6-2 win over Egypt appeared to restore confidence, but Cameroon proved too difficult to overcome in the knockout stage.
Nigeria will face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on Thursday in a crucial play-in fixture.
The winner will advance to FIFA’s intercontinental playoff tournament, where another opportunity to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup awaits.