Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade fractured her right ankle in Nigeria's Olympic qualifier against Comoros, the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed on Thursday. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is due to undergo surgery in Paris on Friday and faces at least three months out.
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Player | Rasheedat Ajibade, 26, Super Falcons captain |
| Club | Paris Saint-Germain, contract to June 2027 |
| Injury | Fracture of the right ankle, confirmed by MRI |
| When | First half, Nigeria 5-0 Comoros, Ikenne, 13 October 2026 |
| Confirmed by | NFF head of communications Ademola Olajire, 15 October |
| Next step | Surgery in Paris, Friday 16 October |
| Expected absence | At least three months, ESPN reported |
MRI settles the question
For two days the camp knew only that the captain had gone for a scan.
Now there is a diagnosis.
Ajibade went down midway through the first half at the Remo Stars Stadium after a collision with Comoros defender Diore Miriame Kaina Said, landing heavily on her right foot before she was stretchered off in tears, and Folashade Ijamilusi came on in her place. Nigeria went on to win 5-0, and 7-0 on aggregate, as we reported in our match report from Ikenne.
On Thursday the NFF ended the uncertainty. “The MRI showed that she suffered a fracture on her ankle and she saw a surgeon here immediately after,” Olajire said, as reported by Vanguard and Blueprint.
She did not stay for the operation in Nigeria. “But because of her flight back to Paris, she couldn't wait and I spoke to our team doctor,” Olajire explained. The federation's understanding is that the procedure takes place in Paris on Friday. More detail will follow once PSG's medical staff have assessed her. Until then, three months is the working figure.
PSG had said nothing publicly by Friday morning.
What she misses
The timing is cruel. Ajibade joined PSG from Atlético Madrid in 2025, and this was meant to be her first full season in Paris. A layoff of three months or more would rule her out of several UEFA Women's Champions League fixtures and of Nigeria's matches in the November international window. TVC News went further. It reported that the injury could keep her out for the rest of 2026.
The bigger target is March 2027. That is when the Super Falcons meet Morocco in the third round of the qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with only two African places available, and her availability for that tie will depend on how the ankle responds after the operation. Who steps up? Toni Payne and Uchenna Kanu shared four of the five goals on Tuesday, while Ijamilusi, the player who replaced Ajibade, set up two of them.
Captain's message
Her tone was upbeat.
Ajibade spoke for herself on Thursday in a statement on X. “At the moment, I am doing okay, and my spirits are high,” she wrote, before thanking those who had sent messages and prayers.
“For now, my focus is on recovery and returning stronger for club and country,” she added. On her WhatsApp status she was briefer still: “I'm fine and doing well. I'll be back stronger, for good and for God's greater glory.”
She led Nigeria to a record tenth Women's Africa Cup of Nations title in 2025, and interim coach Augustine Eguavoen now has to plan for the Morocco tie without knowing when his captain will be fit. For more on her career, read our Rasheedat Ajibade biography.
This article was most recently revised and updated 16 seconds ago
