Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu has opened the door to changes in goal while admitting Nigeria’s defensive problems remain unresolved after their painful exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria’s hopes of defending their continental title and securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup were ended by a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in Sunday’s quarter final in Casablanca.
The result has placed greater scrutiny on a Nigerian side that had already shown defensive vulnerability during the tournament, conceding five goals across the group stage before Cameroon added another in the quarter final.
With the Super Falcons now facing a crucial playoff against South Africa for another opportunity to keep their World Cup hopes alive, Madugu acknowledged that the technical team must conduct a thorough assessment of the squad, including the goalkeeping position.
Nnadozie remained Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper throughout the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, but the tournament ended in disappointment as the Super Falcons conceded five goals in the group stage before their 1-0 quarter final defeat to Cameroon.
Chiamaka Nnadozie has been Nigeria’s first choice goalkeeper and one of the team’s most established players, but her performance against Cameroon came under scrutiny after Myriam Nyadjou’s freekick found the net in the first half.
Asked whether Nigeria could consider other goalkeeping options before the decisive playoff, Madugu said there was nothing wrong with assessing the alternatives available to him.
“It’s quite natural that when things like this happen, you have to do an overall assessment of the team what went wrong, what did we do well, where did we get it wrong,” Madugu said.
The coach, however, was careful not to make the criticism personal or suggest that Nnadozie had lost her place.
“There’s nothing bad in exploring other players. She has been a wonderful goalkeeper, not only for the national team but even for her club, but anybody can make mistakes at any time, and it could be costly, just as it was costly for us today.”
Madugu’s comments therefore do not amount to a decision to drop Nnadozie, but they indicate that every position could be reviewed as Nigeria prepare for a second chance at World Cup qualification.
The Super Falcons cannot afford another costly mistake when they face South Africa, with their place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 still at stake.
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The Super Falcons conceded five goals in their three group matches, including two in their 6-2 victory over Egypt, before failing to keep Cameroon from finding the net in the quarter final.
Madugu admitted that the problem has been a source of concern for the technical team and conceded that their attempts to fix it have not yet produced the desired consistency.
“It’s something that we’ve been bothered about, we’ve been worried about it. We’ve been doing a lot to try and fix it, but like I said, it’s just one of those things and we still have to continue to work,” he said.
The coach described the situation as “a work in progress”, while stressing that Nigeria must remain alert to the possibility of opponents exploiting weaknesses in their defensive structure.
“As long as there is an opportunity for you to exploit, we cannot afford to relax. We have to go back and continue working to make sure we fix whatever it is that has gotten us into the fix we are currently in.”
That admission is particularly significant because Nigeria’s next match carries consequences far beyond the WAFCON campaign.
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The Super Falcons’ immediate focus is South Africa, with the two-time continental rivals set to contest the African playoff route for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Playoff Tournament.
Nigeria must win that encounter to keep their hopes of reaching Brazil alive, meaning Madugu and his technical staff have little time to address the defensive concerns exposed during the WAFCON.
The coach said the team would return to the tournament footage, assess what went wrong and develop a plan for the South Africa encounter.
“We get another chance, a playoff against South Africa. We go back, watch all the games, and come up with a plan that will help us, because we cannot afford to drop that second opportunity,” Madugu said.
That review is likely to extend beyond the goalkeeper position. Nigeria will need to examine how they defend set pieces, how they protect their central areas and how quickly they respond when possession is lost.
Against Cameroon, the Super Falcons had opportunities to equalise and created enough openings to change the outcome, but they were also punished by a moment of defensive vulnerability that ultimately decided the contest.
Madugu believes the performance should not obscure the work that remains to be done.
“We have to give it all our best. We have to.”
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