Interim head coach of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Justin Madugu, has commended his players for their hard-fought 2-1 semifinal victory over reigning champions South Africa.
He hailed the team for showing mental strength and tactical discipline during difficult spells of the match in Casablanca, Morocco.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Madugu acknowledged the emotional and psychological impact of the serious injury suffered by Banyana Banyana star Gabriela Salgado, but insisted it did not change the outcome. He praised his side for staying focused despite losing control of the game at certain points.
“They Kept Fighting When We Lost Control” — Justin Madugu
The Falcons had taken an early lead through Rasheedat Ajibade’s penalty before South Africa’s Linda Motlhalo equalised from the spot in the 60th minute.
Just when the game seemed destined for extra time, Michelle Alozie blasted home a stunning winner in the 94th minute to settle a pulsating contest.
But beyond the goals, Coach Madugu highlighted the mental toughness of his squad in the face of pressure and unsettling incidents notably the horrific injury to South Africa’s Gabriela Salgado, who was stretchered off following a collision.
“Sometimes when things like that happen, for a while it could have an effect on the players, especially with what they see, the extent of the injury they saw,” Madugu began.
“But then they will need to get over it as quickly as possible because they still have a job to do. It is after the job that they can now begin to ask questions.”
“What’s happening? How is this person? How is this person? So, I think it didn’t really affect the outcome of the game because they are all professional players and they know that things like that can happen in the course of a game. But you have a job to do. You must go ahead to do your job.”
“There were nervous moments” — Justin Madugu admits team faltered but recovered
While Nigeria’ Super Falcons eventually won the game, Madugu admitted the team had periods where they lost control of the game and were visibly shaken.
“Sometimes in games, things like that do happen. They happen in football matches. You lose focus.”
“You lose concentration. Sometimes you lose certain things in the course of the game. But they were able to recover quickly, get themselves back and continue the fight.”
“I think we need to also give them some credit for that because there were nervous moments in the course of the game.”
“There were nervous moments and we didn’t do certain things well and then we lost control of the game at some point. But you need to grind out results irrespective of how you get them.”
“The Most Important Thing Is Winning” — Super Falcons Shift Focus to the Final
Coach Madugu concluded his address by reiterating the importance of results, regardless of how they come, noting that the coaching crew will return to the drawing board to address lapses before the final.
“Sometimes the most important thing is winning, which we also covered. So, we’ll go back and do a review of everything that happened in the game that will help us to prepare more in the final game.”
The Super Falcons are aiming for their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title and will now face host nation, Morocco in the grand finale in Rabat.
The victory over South Africa was sealed by a dramatic 94th-minute long-range strike from Michelle Alozie, after Linda Motlhalo’s penalty had cancelled out Rasheedat Ajibade’s earlier spot-kick.
