Justine Madugu resigns as Super Falcons coach after WAFCON and Women's World Cup setback
Justine Madugu has resigned as head coach of the Super Falcons following Nigeria’s disappointing outing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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 disappointing end to his tenure, 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.
Madugu was part of the technical set-up that guided Nigeria to the WAFCON 2024 final, where the Super Falcons finished as champions against hosts Morocco. Nigeria’s campaign included a memorable 2-1 semi-final victory over South Africa.
The tournament run further underlined Madugu’s ability to operate at the highest level of African women’s football, while helping Nigeria maintain their status as one of the continent’s most successful national teams.
He subsequently guided Nigeria through the 2026 WAFCON qualification campaign, 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.
Madugu’s resignation is therefore expected 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.
The NFF had entrusted Madugu with leading the team into a new cycle, but the disappointing outcome in Morocco has brought that chapter to an abrupt end.
His departure leaves the federation with the immediate task of determining a new technical leadership structure as Nigeria prepares for another crucial phase of international competition.
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 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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