Sao Tome and Principe Women’s National Team seems scared to face their Nigerian counterpart – Super Falcons as they’ve officially withdrawn from the much-anticipated WAFCON qualifier.
This decision comes just days before the scheduled 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying first leg encounter on September 22, with the return leg set for September 26.
The announcement, reported exclusively by Elegbetetv and confirmed by Pulse Sports, revealed that the Sao Tome and Principe Football Federation has formally notified CAF of their withdrawal from the qualifiers.
While the federation didn’t provide any specific reasons for this shocking move, speculation points toward the daunting prospect of facing the strong Nigerian side.
The Super Falcons, a powerhouse in African women’s football with nine-time African championship victories to their name, had recently unveiled their roster for the Morocco 2024 WAFCON qualifier.
This withdrawal may come as both a relief and an opportunity for the Nigerian team, sparing them the need to prepare intensively for a match that won’t take place.
With Sao Tome’s withdrawal, Nigeria now awaits the winner of the first qualification round match between Liberia and Cape Verde in the next stage.
The second qualifying round is scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 5, 2023.
While this turn of events may disappoint some, it offers the Super Falcons a chance to focus on their next challenge and maintain their winning streak in women’s African football.