Madugu Backs Super Falcons to Bounce Back After Malawi Shock, Says ‘We’ve Learnt Our Lessons’
Nigeria’s Super Falcons head coach, Justin Madugu, has expressed confidence that his side will recover from their disappointing start to the 2026 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), insisting the team has learned valuable lessons from the shock 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi.
The nine-time African champions suffered one of the biggest upsets in WAFCON history after surrendering to the Scorchers in their Group C opener in Morocco.
The result marked Nigeria’s first-ever defeat to a tournament debutant and the first time the Super Falcons had conceded three goals in a single WAFCON match.
Speaking after the game, Madugu accepted responsibility for the defeat while urging Nigerians not to lose faith in the team.
“It’s a wake-up call for all of us. We have identified the areas we need to improve on, and we’ll go back to work immediately. I believe this team has the quality, character and experience to bounce back stronger.”
The coach dismissed suggestions that his team underestimated Malawi, stressing that the Super Falcons prepared seriously for the encounter.
“People are entitled to their opinions. I know they wouldn’t be reacting the way they are if Nigeria had won.”
“We never underestimated the Malawian Scorchers.”
Madugu also defended some of his team-selection decisions, explaining why key midfielders Christy Ucheibe and Deborah Abiodun did not start the match.
“Christy Ucheibe was good, but she started on the bench because of our tactical approach.”
“Deborah Abiodun couldn’t start because she arrived late in camp.”
The Super Falcons coach admitted that external pressure may have affected his players, particularly with heightened expectations surrounding the defending champions.
“The attention on social media may have had an effect on the girls.”
Madugu also refused to blame goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie for the defeat, insisting the disappointing result was a collective failure.
“Chiamaka Nnadozie is a top-class goalkeeper. It wasn’t the fault of one player, we generally had a bad day as a team.”
With Nigeria now under pressure to revive their title defence, the coach revealed that the technical crew has already begun reviewing the mistakes made against Malawi.
“We’ve identified some of our mistakes and will analyze them properly before our next match against Zambia.”
Drawing inspiration from the Super Falcons’ successful 2018 WAFCON campaign, where Nigeria recovered from an opening defeat to South Africa before lifting the trophy, Madugu believes history can repeat itself.
“We have been in this situation before. In 2018, we lost our opening game but still went on to become champions.”
“Football is about learning from setbacks, correcting mistakes and responding positively. We have learnt our lessons and I’m confident this team will come back stronger.”
He ended with a reassuring message for Nigerian football fans.
“I want to assure Nigerians that we will overcome this setback. It happened to us in 2018, and we still went on to win the tournament.”
The Super Falcons now turn their attention to a must-win Group C clash against Zambia on August 1.
Victory will be crucial if the defending champions are to revive their WAFCON title defence and strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Despite the disappointing opening result, Madugu remains convinced that the defeat to Malawi could become the catalyst for a stronger response as Nigeria seeks a record-extending 10th African title.
