The coach attributed the defeat to individual defensive errors and wastefulness in front of goal, insisting Nigeria had done enough to win the contest.

“We had chances. Still, the conversion was another problem. And we made some little errors at the back. They capitalised on that, and they got the goals that they also got. This was a game we would have finished in the first half based on the opportunities that we had, but we couldn’t utilise them. We have to blame ourselves for it,” he said.

Reacting to the outcome, Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, said the disappointment must serve as motivation for Nigerian women’s football to raise its standards.

“There are a lot of lessons for us to learn from this. This is a wake-up call for us to rise again and not rest on our laurels. We should learn not to be lax because the competition is fierce now. We must realise we are not invincible; we just need to prepare more, get better, and demand more of ourselves individually and collectively,” the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder said.

Rinsola Babajide, who featured for Nigeria throughout the tournament, took to social media to describe the experience as heartbreaking but insisted the Falcons would recover.

“Heartbroken to say the least. It really hurts to miss out on a World Cup spot, but grateful for the opportunity to represent my country at yet another WAFCON. We might be down right now, but we will definitely bounce back, the only way we know how to, the Naija way. Time to reset, reflect and work ahead towards the Olympic qualifiers,” she wrote.

In the wake of the failed campaign, the NFF has set up a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Falcons’ elimination as well as broader issues affecting the performances of Nigeria’s national teams. Former NFF General Secretary, Ambassador Fanny Amun, has been appointed chairman of the panel, with former Nigeria U-20 coach, Ladan Bosso, serving as a member alongside former Super Falcons captain, Desire Oparanozie; ex-Super Eagles captain, Mutiu Adepoju; and former FIFA referee, Dr Alex Mana. Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu, chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, will serve as secretary of the committee.