WAFCON 2026: Madugu Opens Up On Falcons Struggles And Correction Plans
By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria women’s national team gaffer, Justin Madugu has revealed the team’s struggles as they qualified to the quarter final of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations (WAFCON).
The Super Falcons trounced the Pharaohs 6-2 at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to book a place in the last eight of the competition despite the pressures of going past the group stage.
Madugu admitted the team played their selves under the pressure with their poor start to the WAFCON.
“Naturally, everyone will be happy to have advanced to this stage of the competition. Given the circumstances we found ourselves in, we placed ourselves under pressure, but thank God we have been able to come out of it. The competition is only just beginning for us,” Madugu said at the Post match press conference.
The tactician was worried about the defensive blunders in the team which equated to conceding unnecessary goals. He assured of taking the necessary steps to avoid such mistakes in the tournament.
“We have always been a team with a very solid defensive line, but recently we have been conceding very unnecessary goals. That is something that worries us a lot, and we have to do a lot of work to ensure the girls do not switch off at any point during the game.
“The manner in which we are conceding these goals is a serious concern, and it is something we will have to address.”
Madugu however played down any celebration mood in the Falcons camp as he reignited their focus towards the crucial quarter final game against Cameroon which would ultimately decide their World Cup dreams.
“It’s a final because it’s the match that will determine whether we achieve our first objective or not. Having come this far, we know what is at stake, and we will not take it for granted. We have to go back, start work immediately, study our opponents, and come up with a plan that will ensure we emerge victorious in the quarter-final against Cameroon.”
He defended his team selection amidst criticism from fans, enthusiasts while stating that selection of players are based on tactical strength, weaknesses and analysis of opposition game plan.
“Selection is always based on what we see from the opposition. We analyse their strengths and weaknesses, assess our own players and determine who best fits our game plan. The same approach will be applied against Cameroon as we look to select the players who can get us the result we want.”
