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Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has apologised following his side’s disappointing outing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, reports Completesports.com.
The 10-time African champions were knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals by the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
Nigeria also failed to secure a place in the inter-confederation playoffs after suffering a 2-1 defeat to their arch-rivals, a result that ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The setback means the Super Falcons will miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1991.
Madugu Begs Fans For Forgiveness
Madugu admitted that the outcome was disappointing, insisting that his players gave their best on the pitch but ultimately fell short of expectations.
The gaffer also accepted full responsibility for the Super Falcons’ failure at the tournament and apologised to Nigerians for the team’s disappointing campaign.
“First of all, I have to apologise to Nigerians over our inability to make it to the World Cup. It was not our intention. We came and did the best that we could, but our best was not good enough. We are very sorry for that, and we take full responsibility for everything that happened,” Madugu said during his interaction with the media.
Read Also:Should Justin Madugu Continue As Super Falcons Head Coach?
Unfazed By Sack Threat
Madugu’s future remains uncertain, with growing calls for his dismissal following the Super Falcons’ disappointing outing.
However, the experienced tactician insists he is unfazed by the mounting pressure, declaring that he is not afraid of being relieved of his duties by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.
“I am not afraid of being sacked. To the glory of God, I have served my country. It was a privilege that was given to me,”added Madugu.
“So far, I have played almost 28 games, won 19, lost four and drawn four. But this defeat came at crucial moments that people did not expect.”
Unlucky Super Falcons
Madugu stated that the players gave their all against South Africa but acknowledged that missed opportunities and costly defensive errors denied his team a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
“We had chances, but conversion was another problem. We also made some little errors at the back, and they capitalised on that and got their goals,” declared Madugu.
“We had the game under control, but a momentary loss of concentration resulted in the kind of goals that we conceded. It is always individual errors that put us in trouble and make it difficult to get out of it.”
By Adeboye Amosu
