Ahead of the in-tournament playoff for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has admitted Nigeria must improve as other African nations continue to invest heavily in women’s football.
The 10-time WAFCON winners were knocked out in the quarter-final of the ongoing tournament in Morocco.
It is also the first time in the competition’s 28-year history where Nigeria will not be playing for a medal.
That heartbreak in the defeat against Cameroun is now heightened by the possibility of the team also missing out of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria is the only African nation to have qualified for every edition of the World Cup and now must attempt to go through a playoff route to make their 10th appearance.
The under fire Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu understands his team can not botch this lifeline, but insists beyond a pending World Cup ticket, the authorities must revisit the structural issues in Women’s football.
Madugu said Nigeria cannot afford to remain isolated while other countries develop their football structures.
He stressed the need for improvements across several areas, warning that success cannot be expected without putting in the required work.
It’s Not Magic
‘If you look at what is happening you’d understand quite clearly not just from the results, but even from the game play, everybody is investing so much to ensure that they improve,’ Madugu stated in his pre-match presser.
‘So we have to realize that fact, and reality should dawn on us, that we must also do a lot to remain top and keep improving.
Also read: Super Falcons’ Francisca Ordega Reveals What Shocked Her as Nigeria Crashed Out of WAFCON
‘People are doing a lot to develop their own. We cannot be in isolation we must also try as much as possible to make sure that we develop a lot of things.’
‘There are so many areas that we need to work on to make sure we get it right because you cannot expect people to be working and you are doing nothing, but, you expect that you will come out victorious.
‘It doesn’t work that way, it is not magic.’
Nigeria and South Africa will face-off, this Thursday, in one of two in-play matches for a place in the intercontinental pool for the 2027 Women’s World Cup playoff.
