Nigerian players were actively involved in the 2025/2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) campaign on Matchday 5, but it proved to be a night of disappointment as elimination was mathematically confirmed for their respective clubs following heavy defeats in Gameweek 5.
It has been a rocky and challenging campaign for the Nigerian contingent, with AS Roma, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) all bowing out of the league phase.
The exits are particularly painful for players who had hoped to make a deep run in Europe, including Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, who recently joined French giants PSG Féminine with dreams of lifting the Champions League trophy.
How the Nigerians’ Hope Ended Early in Europe
This is the first tournament under the new champions league format. According to UEFA;
“The top four sides in the league phase will qualify automatically for the quarter-finals, while the teams finishing in 5th to 12th place will compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to secure their path to the last eight.”
“Teams ranked 13 to 18 will be eliminated.”
PSG’s European Campaign Ends in Disappointment
Paris Saint-Germain Féminine crashed out of the Women’s Champions League, sitting 16th with one point from five games.
Their only positive result came in a 0–0 draw at home against OH Leuven at the Parc des Princes, where Jennifer Echegini played the full 90 minutes in Matchday 5.
PSG’s campaign was undermined by defeats to Wolfsburg, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, while injury problems further compounded their struggles.
Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade has been sidelined after picking up an injury against Bayern Munich, causing her to miss three consecutive games for the French side and ruling her out of the decisive phase of the competition.
Oladipo & Babajide’s Roma Thrashed at Stamford Bridge
Shukurat Oladipo and Rinsola Babajide were both named in the starting line-up on Wednesday as AS Roma suffered a crushing 6–0 away defeat to Chelsea, a result that sealed their elimination.
Roma’s hopes were dented early when Valentina Bergamaschi scored an own goal in the 13th minute, handing Chelsea the opener.
The English side capitalised ruthlessly, adding two more goals before half-time to take a 3–0 lead into the break.
Chelsea showed no mercy after the restart, scoring three additional goals to complete a dominant performance and officially end Roma’s European journey.
The defeat capped a miserable league-phase campaign for the Italian side, who had previously lost to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Vålerenga, managing just one point from a draw against OH Leuven on Matchday 4.
Roma currently sit 17th on the table, having scored only three goals while conceding 18. They will aim to salvage some pride when they face St. Pölten in their final match of the competition.
Ucheibe Scores an Own Goal in Benfica’s Fall to Barcelona
In Spain, Christy Ucheibe featured for Benfica as the Portuguese champions were beaten 3–1 by Barcelona. This defeat confirmed their early exit from the competition.
The Super Falcons midfielder started in defense and endured an unfortunate moment in the second half when she scored an own goal, restoring Barcelona’s lead at 2–1 after Chandra Davidson had cancelled out Ewa Pajor’s first-half opener.
Barcelona captain, Alexia Putellas added a third goal for the Spanish champions, although she missed a penalty that could have further increased the margin.
The result leaves Benfica with just one point, placing them 15th in the standings.
Ucheibe, however, will have one final opportunity to end the campaign positively when Benfica face PSG in their last group game, a clash that will see her come up against national teammate Jennifer Echegini.
What’s Next?
The elimination of Roma, Benfica and PSG marks a disappointing end to the UWCL campaign for Nigerian players involved in this season’s competition.
With European ambitions cut short, the affected players will now turn their attention to domestic league commitments, aiming to regain momentum and confidence ahead of future international and club challenges.
