Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has opened up on the long coaching journey that eventually culminated in leading Nigeria to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title after more than a decade of learning, patience and experience.
In an interview with CAF, the veteran tactician reflected on his progression through five WAFCON tournaments, describing his rise from assistant coach to continental champion as one of the proudest achievements of his career.
Madugu first experienced the competition in 2012 when he served as an assistant under Kadiri Ikhana during the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
Two years later, he returned to the Super Falcons’ technical crew for the 2014 edition in Namibia, working alongside Edwin Okon and Christopher Danjuma as Nigeria reclaimed the continental crown.
That success was followed by the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, a tournament Madugu believes opened international opportunities for several home-based Nigerian players.
His WAFCON education continued in subsequent years under foreign coaches Thomas Dennerby and Randy Waldrum, with Madugu remaining an important member of the technical staff during the 2018 and 2022 editions.
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Those years, he explained, helped him understand every aspect of elite international football while preparing him for greater responsibility.
“I have been an assistant coach for many years,” Madugu recalled.
His opportunity finally arrived in 2024 when he was entrusted with leading the Super Falcons as head coach, a role that transformed years of preparation into the biggest moment of his coaching career.
Madugu admitted there was a significant difference between celebrating success as an assistant and carrying the full responsibility as the man in charge.
“I had won the trophy twice as an assistant, and I was so happy because winning it as an assistant and winning it as the head coach of a team, there’s a lot of difference,” he said.
“You are now on the driving seat. You have to take decisions. It is no longer an advisory role.”
The 62-year-old explained that becoming head coach meant accepting responsibility for every tactical decision, team selection and result, whether positive or negative.
“You must take responsibility for all your actions, good or bad,” he added.
Despite the increased pressure, Madugu described lifting the WAFCON trophy as head coach as one of the happiest moments of his professional life.
“It was one of the most joyous and happiest moments of my career to have won it as the head coach of the Super Falcons.”
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Having now experienced the competition from almost every possible perspective, Madugu believes those five WAFCON campaigns provided the foundation that enabled him to guide Nigeria back to the summit of African women’s football.
