EXCLUSIVE: 'Devastated' Justine Madugu considering resignation after Super Falcons' WAFCON disaster
Nigeria head coach Justine Madugu is set to resign from his position following Nigeria’s disappointing outing at the Morocco 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, SavidNews has learnt.
Sources close to the situation told SavidNews that Madugu may have concluded plans to exit the post following the dismal Super Falcons’ campaign in Morocco, although the final formalities surrounding his departure are still expected to be concluded.
The 61-year-old tactician, who guided the West Africans to a storied WAFCON 2024 triumph last year, is understood to have been deeply affected by the frustrating outcome, particularly Nigeria’s failure to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“He was devastated by the shocking performance and, more importantly, by the failure to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup. It was something he took very personally because he wanted to deliver for the country,” a source close to the coach told SavidNews.
The source also claimed that Madugu felt he did not receive the level of support he expected during the campaign and believed that some developments amounted to an attempt to undermine his work.
“He felt sabotaged at certain points. He believes there were things that happened around the team that made his job more difficult than it should have been,” the source added.
However, the source stressed that Madugu remains proud of his contribution to the Super Falcons and does not want his departure to overshadow the work accomplished during his time with the team.
“He knows football is about results, and he accepts responsibility. But he also feels there are things that need to be examined honestly before judging his entire tenure,” the source said.
Madugu’s decision comes months after the Nigeria Football Federation handed the 61-year-old tactician a new two-year contract, extending his tenure from October 1, 2025, to October 1, 2027.
The Adamawa-born coach had confirmed the contract extension after guiding Nigeria to qualification for the 2026 WAFCON, following a 1-1 draw with Benin Republic in Abeokuta that secured a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Madugu’s Achievements
Despite the possible disappointing end to his stint, Madugu leaves behind a notable body of work with the Super Falcons, particularly his contribution to Nigeria’s impressive run at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, having defeated the reigning world champion coach Jorge Vilda.
Madugu was part of the technical set-up that guided Nigeria to the WAFCON 2024 final, where the Super Falcons won a record-extending 10th African title bouncing back from two-goal to win 3-2 against hosts Morocco.
That run further highlighted Madugu’s experience on his fifth appearance at the highest level of African women’s football and his contribution to keeping Nigeria among the continent’s leading women’s football nations.
He subsequently guided Nigeria through the 2026 WAFCON qualification campaign, after securing a 3-1 aggregate victory over Benin Republic and ensuring the Super Falcons reached the continental tournament.
Madugu was also involved in the integration of emerging talents into the senior national team as Nigeria prepared for a new competitive cycle.
However, the defining disappointment of his tenure came at the 2026 WAFCON, where Nigeria failed to retain the continental crown and subsequently missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The World Cup failure ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the women’s global showpiece since its inaugural tournament in 1991.
His expected resignation is likely to trigger renewed debate within the Nigeria Football Federation over the technical direction of the Super Falcons and the broader restructuring required to restore the team to its position among the world’s leading women’s football nations.
Another source stressed that the priority should now be a smooth transition rather than prolonged uncertainty.
“The most important thing now is to have a clear plan and a coach who can immediately begin rebuilding the team,” the source told SavidNews.
Madugu leaves having delivered WAFCON qualification and played a role in Nigeria’s impressive 2024 continental campaign, but ultimately unable to achieve the two major objectives of the 2026 campaign—successfully defending Nigeria’s continental title and securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
His resignation will now leave the Super Falcons without a substantive head coach, with qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games set to begin in October 2026 against Comoros.
The embattled NFF will consequently be under pressure to appoint a new technical leader swiftly and provide the team with stability ahead of another major qualification campaign.
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