Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu says that his side have put their disappointing opening defeat behind them and are fully focused on Saturday’s crucial Group C clash against Zambia at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Nigeria’s title defence suffered an unexpected setback on Tuesday after a shock 3-2 loss to debutants Malawi, leaving the defending champions needing victory against the Copper Queens to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage firmly in their own hands.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Madugu said the team had recovered mentally from the defeat and were determined to bounce back.
“The mood in the camp is okay. Everybody is looking very bright and we’ve gotten over the incident that happened in the last game. We’re looking forward to the next game tomorrow,” he said.
More Read
The defeat to Malawi sparked widespread criticism from supporters, with many questioning Madugu’s tactical decisions and team selection. However, the coach said he understood the reaction while maintaining confidence in his methods.
“It’s within their rights to question whatever they want to question. But the fact is that we know what we are doing, we are focused, and we’re looking ahead.
“The last game we played is not the only game we’ve played in the WAFCON. We played WAFCON last year and we won. Because we have lost now, people are questioning the tactics. It’s within their rights to do so, I don’t have any problem with that.”
One of the biggest talking points following the defeat was Madugu’s decision to deploy a couple of players outside their preferred positions. Michelle Alozie featured at left-back instead of her usual role on the right, while Shukurat Oladipo, who was named Serie A’s Best Defender after starring at centre-back last season, was used at right-back.
Defending those decisions, Madugu stressed that versatility within the squad allows the coaching staff to make tactical adjustments based on specific opponents.
“We have players in the team that are very flexible. We want to win also, we can’t take decisions that we know will not work out for us. Sometimes you take certain decisions, they may work out and they may not work out.
“For this, because we lost, certainly it would look like it is because those players played out of position, that is why we lost.”
The coach pointed to examples within the squad, noting that Christy Ucheibe has played as a centre-back for Benfica but operates as a defensive midfielder for Nigeria, while Ashleigh Plumptre successfully transitioned into a left-back role with the national team.
Despite defending his choices, Madugu accepted responsibility for the defeat and pledged to improve: “I take responsibility for all that, and I’ll hope to do better in the next game.”
Nigeria will face a confident Zambia side that opened their campaign with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt. Although the Super Falcons thrashed the Copper Queens 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2024 WAFCON en route to lifting a record-extending 10th continental title, Madugu said past results would have no bearing on Saturday’s encounter.
“Last year is last year, that is history. We have a new game in another competition that we are participating in. We are not using the result of last year to make assessments, we’re looking at their current status.
“We are well aware that their confidence will be boosted with the victory over Egypt just as we are pained by the defeat of the last game. We are coming out to ensure that we get the result we want. We know what is at stake, we are not taking it for granted by any means.”
Beyond defending their continental crown, the Super Falcons are also chasing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a place in the WAFCON semi-finals guaranteeing a ticket to the global tournament.
Madugu acknowledged the significance of the occasion and said the team is determined to avoid the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We are aware of the consequences of not winning our games, and the importance of this particular edition of the Nation’s Cup because it gives us the opportunity of playing at the World Cup.
“We are not relenting in our efforts to try and make sure that we make up for what happened at the last game. We all want to be at the World Cup. We know what it means to Nigerians.
“We still have our fate in our hands and we’ll do everything possible to make sure that we don’t have a repeat of what happened with the Men’s team.”
The Group C encounter between Nigeria and Zambia will be played at Stade El Barid in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 9 p.m. Nigerian time.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
