Former African women’s footballer of the year, Mercy Akide-Udoh said preparation must be a priority for Nigeria’s women’s team to avoid an early exit at this year’s Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons were scheduled to take part in the prestigious Cyprus Cup at the end of February and will then be at a training camp in Austria in the run-up to France 2019.
But Akide-Udoh, who starred as Nigeria reached the quarterfinals of the 1999 World Cup, said more fixtures must be arranged for the Falcons.
“To have a good tournament and avoid another embarrassing outing, the girls deserves to compete against the very best in the women’s game to get themselves ready,” Akide-Udoh told BBC Sport. “Other countries going to the World Cup are playing friendlies, but we are not, which is not a good sign.
“I have always said that Nigeria must start showing that we deserve to be at the World Cup and stop being contented with just participating since 1991,” she added.
Nigeria is the only African team to have played in all of the women’s seven World Cup tournaments since 1991, but the Super Falcons have failed to translate their continental dominance on the world stage.