Super Falcons defender Michelle Alozie has deactivated her Instagram account following intense fan backlash over Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 27 year-old full-back turned off her profile after supporters targeted her online following Nigeria’s 2-1 playoff defeat to South Africa. The loss eliminated the nine-time African champions from reaching the global tournament for the first time in their history.
Head coach Justine Madugu’s squad suffered a disappointing campaign, exiting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals against Cameroon before dropping into the qualifying playoffs. The final defeat against South Africa sealed Nigeria’s absence from the 2027 showpiece.
Alozie, who regularly posts off-pitch content and behind-the-scenes videos with teammates, faced mounting criticism over her social media usage alongside performance complaints. Her profile remained inaccessible Sunday morning.
The elimination marks an unprecedented low point for Nigerian football governance. For the first time, the Super Falcons, the senior men’s Super Eagles, and the under-20 Flying Eagles have all failed to qualify for their respective World Cup tournaments in the same cycle.
Fans and stakeholders have increased calls for the Nigeria Football Federation to dismiss Madugu and restructure technical oversight across the national team setups. Neither Alozie nor the NFF has issued a formal public statement regarding the account deactivation.