The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, has assured the Super Falcons of the unwavering support of millions of Nigerians despite their recent setback in the ongoing tournament.

The Super Falcons surprised many followers of the African game with a lacklustre performance that saw Malawi beat the defending champions 3-2 in their opening game at the ongoing African Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Reacting to the defeat yesterday, the NIS boss urged the players to put their disappointing loss behind them and focus on the bigger task ahead. He described the loss as a temporary setback that should inspire the team to fight harder in their remaining matches.

He reminded the 10-time African champions that football is unpredictable and that every successful team experiences difficult moments during its journey to greatness.

According to him, champions are defined not by their defeats but by their ability to recover and respond positively, adding that, “The task ahead is bigger than yesterday’s defeat.”

He called on the players and coaching crew to remain united, disciplined and fully committed to achieving their objective.

He expressed confidence that the Super Falcons possess the quality, experience and winning mentality needed to bounce back and compete strongly for the title.

The Super Falcons will face group leaders, Zambia, in their second game of the championship tomorrow.

Nigeria needs an outright victory to rekindle their quest for a second-round ticket.

Defeat means that the Super Falcons will not only be out of the competition, but also fail to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Only the semifinalists are guaranteed qualification to the World Cup.