Nike and VERSUS Give Africa’s Women’s Stars the Floor in Nothing Off the Table
When footballers speak, it’s usually through a press officer or a post-match microphone. Nike and VERSUS wanted something different. Nothing Off the Table, now in its second edition, brings together four of Africa’s leading women’s players for an open, unfiltered conversation about the game they’re building.
A different kind of conversation
Released ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the episode strips away club colours and media training. Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade and Jennifer Echegini join Morocco midfielder Yasmin Mrabet and Ghana forward Princess Marfo, with VERSUS Editor-in-Chief Amie Cripps hosting.
No rivalries. No rehearsed talking points. Just players speaking for themselves.
Playing for the people
Marfo admits WAFCON meant little to her as a teenager. “When I was 18, I heard about it, but I didn’t really know what it meant until I played in the recent one,” she says.
That changed when she saw who was in the stands. Supporters from her hometown of Mamobi travelled to back her. “This time it makes me go there to play for my people,” she says.
Her route into the game is a story on its own. Right to Dream scouted her at a men’s tournament, where the scouts assumed she was a boy. “They knew my name was Princess and they still didn’t believe me.”
Winning as a tool for change
Ajibade captained Nigeria to their 10th WAFCON title and was named player of the tournament. For her, the trophy was never the end point.
“It was more than just winning. It was a tool for change,” she says. “We’re carrying the hope of more than 200 million people.”
After the tournament, the squad reached out to almost 150 players and grassroots teams across Nigeria, handing out balls and equipment. “Their dream is valid,” Ajibade says. “We are like the big sisters who are there to support them.”
She credits that drive to growing up in Nigeria,
Success is not given. You have to earn it.
Why consistency matters
Growth and support aren’t the same thing, and Echegini points to how rarely African women’s football makes headlines. “We only really talk about African football when it comes to WAFCON,” she says.
With the tournament held every two years, many national teams only play top-level games in that window. She wants regular fixtures and camps across the continent, not just from one federation. “If we want people to buy into us, consistency is very important across the board.”
A multicultural table
Mrabet sees the diaspora as a strength. Morocco’s squad is full of players raised abroad, and mealtimes prove it. “The girls are speaking different languages and we just intertwine,” she says. “It makes the whole experience that much better.”
Not every language lands, though. The group jokes about struggling with Dutch, with only Echegini, who grew up in the Netherlands, able to keep up.
For Marfo, time around other cultures deepened her connection to home. She once considered playing for the USA, until she joined Ghana. “Being in that environment made me actually appreciate and take pride in my country.”
Why Nothing Off the Table matters
For too long, outsiders have told the story of African women’s football. With Nothing Off the Table, VERSUS flips that, handing the microphone to the players shaping the game in real time.
Mrabet predicted a tough tournament. “Every tournament is getting harder. The players are getting better,” she said. She was right. Nigeria’s hunt for an 11th title fell short, as Cameroon claimed their first WAFCON crown with a 3-0 win over debutants Malawi in Rabat.
As the women’s game grows, conversations like this make sure the players lead the story, not the other way round.
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