Following an unprecedented dismal performance in the just-concluded WAFCON in Morroco, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has wielded the axe on Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu and his technical team.
Announced via a brief statement on X on Monday, the overhaul stems from Nigeria’s disastrous 2026 WAFCON campaign.
A painful 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon not only handed the nine-time African champions their earliest exit in competition history, but also crushed their hopes of securing a ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Falcons had endured an unconvincing group-stage campaign, including an opening defeat by Malawi, who were appearing in the tournament for the first time. Malawi subsequently reached the final, where they lost to Cameroon.
The final blow came via the African play-offs, where a 2-1 defeat to South Africa extinguished Nigeria’s last hope of reaching Brazil 2027.
For a side that had proudly appeared at every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the tournament’s inception, the failure represents an unprecedented low point.
Madugu’s exit caps a tenure that began in November 2021, when he was brought in alongside Edwin Okon during a major technical reshuffle.
Stripping back the coaching bench leaves Nigeria’s premier women’s team at a crossroads, with the NFF keeping quiet on who will step in to direct the rebuild.
The timing of the decision comes amid wider scrutiny of Nigeria’s national-team performance after the Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
PerSecondNews recalls that the men’s team has also missed out after finishing second in their qualifying group and subsequently losing the African playoff final to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties.
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