1992 Africa Cup of Nations star Friday Ekpo has acknowledged that the Super Falcons are more successful than the Super Eagles, pointing to their string of Women's Africa Cup of Nations triumphs as evidence.

While the Super Falcons have claimed the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title a record ten times, the Super Eagles have lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on just three occasions, with their most recent triumph coming in 2013.

In terms of global tournaments, the Super Eagles have qualified for the Fifa World Cup six times, three fewer than the Super Falcons, who advanced to the quarterfinals in 1999 and reached the round of 16 in both 2019 and 2023.

When you ask football fans on the streets, most will tell you the Super Falcons have achieved more than the Super Eagles.

Ekpo has admitted that Nigeria's women national team are truly more accomplished than their male counterparts.

Speaking on The PlayZone podcast, Ekpo explained: "I would say yes because in African football then, we did not have many countries who were playing or exposed like the Nigerian girls. We started earlier than most of them.

"By the time they started coming up, we have gotten five or six championships in our kitty. Now you can see the Zambians, South Africans, they are coming up so strongly, even Morocco of late, you see them playing as if they are men. They put their acts together. Sometimes I wonder are these ones girls."

Ekpo suggested that part of the reason the Super Falcons have achieved so much is that men’s football is fiercely contested.

"The Super Falcons are more successful than the Super Eagles because we are so many in the men's game, we fight for every cup but can't get all. 

"African men's football is getting stronger and thicker these days. Women's football differs from men's football so we will do our best to equal their own record. We should not be comparing them," he concluded. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel