Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has assured that his players will give their all when they face the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
The defending champions will battle their perennial rivals in a quarter-final clash at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday.
A place in the semi-finals will be at stake, with the winner also securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Madugu acknowledged the significance of the encounter, stressing that his players are fully aware of what is at stake and are determined to produce their best performance against the Cameroonians.
Read Also:WAFCON 2026: Madugu Vows To Fix Super Falcons’ Leaky Defence
The coach expressed confidence in the team’s readiness for the crucial encounter as they continue their quest to successfully defend their title.
“It’s an important match because we all know what is at stake, the ticket for the World Cup. After the World Cup ticket, you have the semi-finals, which will also enable you continue your quest for retaining the trophy. We’ll go in there fully prepared, give it our best and ensure that we carry the day.”
The Super Falcons conceded five goals during the group stage, and Madugu admitted that tightening up his side’s defence will be crucial ahead of the encounter.
“There can always be a starting point when you don’t concede goals and we’re believing it will start from the quarter-final stage. We have been working to ensure that those mistakes and loopholes that caused those goals are corrected. Yes, we conceded goals, but we equally score goals, so it’s still positive for us,” added Madugu.
By Adeboye Amosu
1 Comment
Magudu, i wish u and d super fakcons success tomorrow. Nothing u do will ever please Nigerians, myself included. U have only lost 1 competitive match since u took over from Randy Waldrum. U have also bettered his record, he never won any medal for nigeria but u have won the Wafcon. People will se that u have not added any tactical or technical input to d team and that its all down to the girls but if its another coach same people will say it was done to the tactics of d coach when his team wins. To me its double standard. I think from a tactical point of view Randy might be better but u have shown me that u can win and me personally will take that anytime any day. If tomorrow u don’t win against cameroon which can happen in football, i still give u kudos. Nff didn’t plan friendly games for uour team and many here are expecting miracles. My only hope is that u have practiced for penakties as dis game may go to penalty shootout. In a game like dis, u definitely need 2 defensive midfielders in Abiodun and Ucheibe to disrupt and control that midfield. My preferred lineup would be Nnadizue (GK), ohale and Denehin (CB), although i have ny reservation about Ohale’s pace, if we had a solid other defensive midfielder (not Ayinde as she is too light weight for dis kind of match) i would have paired Ucheibe with Demehin as both are strong, relatively young and fast. Like they say, half bread is better than full chin chin, so Ohale and Demehin starts as CB. Alozie and Imran as RB and LB respectively. My 3 man midfield would be Ucheibe-Abiodun-Ajibade with Ajibade in an advanced position like Lookman. My forward three would be Okonkwo-Gift Monday-Babajide with Okonkwo operating from d RW, Babajide on the LW and Gift Monday spearheading the attack. Kanu, Echegini, Payne, Omewa can come in later in the game to add bite and provide stability without problems. Just a thought.