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Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala has described Nigeria’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off against South Africa as a crucial battle, with both teams looking to bounce back from their disappointing exits from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Falcons will face Banyana Banyana after both teams suffered quarter-final defeats at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria were beaten 1-0 by Cameroon, while South Africa also exited the tournament at the same stage. The winner of Thursday’s encounter will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2027 World Cup. Oshoala acknowledged that the play-off was not the situation the Super Falcons wanted after their WAFCON exit, but stressed that the World Cup opportunity remains available and Nigeria must fight for it. "To be honest, I think right now, this is where we find ourselves, and we just have to face it. Not the best way, but also, the World Cup is still there for us to grab. So we still have to go all out and fight for the spot," Oshaoala told reporters . The former Barcelona forward also recognised the difficult nature of Nigeria’s latest meeting with South Africa, pointing to the long-standing rivalry between the two teams and their recent encounters. "South Africa, as you already know, it’s always tough against them. They’re a footballing nation as well, and also considering the fact that we knocked them out of the Olympics the last time and also Wafcon last time as well. "So, we don’t expect it to be an easy game, but we’re like two wounded lions, you know, wanting to go out there to fight for something. So, it’s going to be a tough one, but yeah, inshallah, we carry it the day." The Super Falcons have also been working to move on from their disappointing defeat to Cameroon, with Oshoala insisting that the players are mentally prepared for another important battle. "We're up there. Mentally, we're ready to go out there to to fight and also to correct our mistakes against Cameroon," she added. The six-time African Player of the Year winner also appealed to Nigerian supporters to continue backing the team despite the disappointment of their WAFCON elimination. She admitted that the players were equally affected by the result, explaining that nobody wanted to give everything on the pitch only to suffer defeat. "The truth is, I think we’re also heartbroken. We’re players; we’re running for 90 minutes. No one wants to go out there, run around and then lose the game. "We all wanted to win, and as always, we’re always giving 100%. It just wasn’t our day, basically. "Mistakes happen, things happen, but we just keep urging them to keep supporting the team so we can all smile and be happy again as one nation," she revealed. With a place in the next stage of the World Cup qualification pathway at stake, Nigeria and South Africa now face another high-pressure encounter only days after their WAFCON campaigns came to an end.