Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu says Nigeria have already analysed every possible qualification scenario ahead of their decisive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C clash with Egypt, but insists his side have no intention of depending on results elsewhere.
Nigeria head into Wednesday’s encounter knowing victory would secure a place in the quarterfinals after recovering from their shock opening defeat to Malawi with a hard fought 1-0 win over Zambia.
With Malawi leading the group on six points, Zambia and Nigeria level on three, and Egypt still searching for their first point, every team still has something to play for heading into the final round of fixtures.
Despite the various qualification permutations, Madugu made it clear his players are focused solely on winning.
“We have done all the various permutations on what can get us through and we know which of the permutations can take us through.
“We want to have our fate in our hands and not leave it for anybody to decide for us, so we are going straight for what we know would put us through and that we are aware of.”
The coach also expressed confidence in his squad’s mindset ahead of one of Nigeria’s most important matches of the tournament.
“We are good to go, the team is in high spirit, we are getting ready for the next game and we all know what is at stake. We are doing our best to ensure that we get the right result that will take us to the next stage of the competition.”
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Madugu also defended the inclusion of experienced forward Francisca Ordega, who is yet to feature at the tournament, saying success depends on far more than the players who take to the pitch.
The coach stressed that experienced squad members often provide leadership and stability behind the scenes, even when they are not selected in the starting line-up.
“There are so many ingredients that make a team succeed. If we felt Ordega was not doing well, we wouldn’t have brought her to this competition.
“We know the role most of them play, especially the ones we always refer to as the older players in the team. It’s not every player that comes to a competition that you expect to play all 90 minutes.”
Madugu dismissed suggestions that sentiment influences his team selection, insisting every decision is made with the team’s success in mind.
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“It’s not like sentiments are attached to it. We are the principal beneficiaries when the team does well, so we wouldn’t do things that will not help us in any way. We try to do our best because if we win, all of us are happy and we have made a lot of people happy.”
With qualification now within reach, Nigeria know a victory over Egypt would remove any need to rely on other results and keep alive their quest for another continental title.
