Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has apologised to Nigerians and taken responsibility for the team’s 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria’s title defence ended in Casablanca on Sunday after Myriam Nyadjou’s first half free kick proved enough to send Cameroon into the semi-finals and deny the Super Falcons automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For Madugu, there was no attempt to shift responsibility after a result that brought Nigeria’s campaign to a premature end.
“I want to apologise to Nigerians over our inability to win today’s game, which would have qualified us for the World Cup,” Madugu said at his post-match press conference.
“It was not our intention. The ladies did the best that they could, but that’s the way the game was designed to go. We apologise, and I take responsibility for that. We still have a second chance, and we will do our best to see what comes out of it.”
Madugu’s comments came after Nigeria struggled to turn their opportunities into a goal, despite creating openings against a Cameroon side that defended its lead for more than 70 minutes.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the WAFCON semi finals and securing one of Africa’s automatic places at the 2027 World Cup.
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The coach was also questioned about suggestions of unrest within the squad, including speculation surrounding decisions made by players during the closing stages of the match.
Madugu dismissed the suggestion that the defeat was connected to any division among the players.
“To the best of my mind, there’s no problem in the camp. There’s no division amongst the girls,” he said. “They are all on the same page, they have been working together, cooperating. It’s just one of those things that can happen in the course of a game.”
Asked about a late attacking opportunity when a Nigerian player chose to shoot instead of passing to a teammate in a better position, Madugu again rejected the idea that the decision reflected a deeper problem within the squad.
“I’m sure she felt she could score, that was why she made the attempt and probably would have passed the ball to a teammate who was in a better position,” he said.
“But that is not to say there is any division amongst them.”
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Madugu instead pointed to Nigeria’s failure to finish the chances they created against Cameroon.
“In all the games they played, they never created the kind of chances they created today,” he said. “It’s just that the conversion wasn’t right, and we weren’t precise and clinical with our finishing.”
That failure to convert ultimately left Nigeria without an equaliser as Cameroon protected their advantage to secure a place in the last four.
