Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has disclosed that Nigeria will head into Saturday’s crucial Women’s Africa Cup of Nations clash against Zambia with tactical adjustments after analysing the shortcomings that contributed to their opening defeat to Malawi.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage now rest on a positive result against the Copper Queens, and Madugu says his technical crew has spent the past few days reviewing what went wrong and preparing a different approach.
For the first time since the defeat, Madugu offered insight into the tactical approach the Super Falcons adopted against Malawi, admitting that the team’s aggressive defensive setup left them vulnerable during transitions.
Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has revealed Nigeria will adopt a different tactical approach against Zambia. Photocredit: CAFOnline
According to the coach, Nigeria intended to press high up the pitch and win possession closer to the opposition’s goal, but the strategy ultimately worked against his side.
“The plan we had was to play a high line, keep the opposition in their half and see how we could exploit whatever opportunities came our way,” Madugu explained.
“The idea was that if we won the ball in the opposition’s half, it would be easier to get to goal and hurt them.”
“We were aware that in the event of transitions, we could also be hurt. We had to be careful with that, but things didn’t work out the way we planned.”
Lessons learned ahead of Zambia
Madugu said the coaching staff has since conducted a detailed review of both Nigeria’s performance and Zambia’s strengths, with preparations centred on preventing a repeat of the problems exposed in the opening match.
The coach revealed that Zambia’s attacking patterns have been closely analysed as Nigeria seek a response in a must-win fixture.
“We have done an analysis of what happened in the last game where we got things wrong.”
“For the Zambia game, we have also looked at them. They are also watching us and analysing our strengths and weaknesses.”
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While stopping short of revealing specific tactical details, Madugu expressed confidence that Nigeria has developed solutions to counter Zambia’s threats.
He stressed that the technical crew understands what must improve if the Super Falcons are to return to winning ways.
“We are fully aware of all that. We keep working and we know exactly how to address what we have analysed.”
“We are coming up with a plan to address that.”
Despite the disappointment of the opening defeat, Madugu insists confidence remains high within the squad, with the players determined to revive their campaign.
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The coach believes the setback has provided valuable lessons rather than lasting damage.
“Any game you play, your ultimate goal is to win.”
“We know what is at stake. We are coming out to ensure that we get the result we want.”
Nigeria face Zambia knowing victory is essential to keep their WAFCON campaign alive and strengthen their bid to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
