WAFCON: Everything Justin Madugu said ahead of Nigeria vs Tunisia clash

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has emphasised the importance of treating every opponent with respect and caution, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian women’s team prepares to face Tunisia in their opening game of the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Sunday, 6th of July.

Madugu, speaking ahead of the clash, dismissed the notion of easy teams at the tournament, and insisted that all the teams present in Morocco earned their place by merit and should not be underestimated.

“Everybody is entitled to his opinion. For me, or for us, we have respect for all the teams that have qualified,” the coach said. “We need to show them that respect — they have all gone through the qualifiers. They did very well and that’s why they are here.”

The Super Falcons boss pointed out that only a select few nations made it through the rigorous qualifying phase and that alone is a good reason for their quality.

“If you count the number of countries in Africa, everybody is not here. So for them to have gotten here, we need to show them that respect and treat them as people that have done something well,” he added.

The nine-time WAFCON champions are grouped alongside Tunisia, Botswana, and Algeria. While many consider the Super Falcons clear favourites to top the group, Madugu is wary of falling into the trap of complacency.

“There are no minnows as far as football is concerned in Africa,” he warned. “Looking at the results that were posted in the course of the qualifiers, we wouldn’t consider anyone to be a weak team.”

“We are not taking anybody for granted”

Head coach Justin Madugu discusses the teams preparation and mentality ahead of our game against Tunisia .#SoarSuperFalcons #MissionX #WAFCON2024 pic.twitter.com/clYs70yyWg

— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) July 5, 2025

The coach also questioned the reliability of rankings or pre-tournament ratings in determining match outcomes.

“Ratings sometimes do not actually give you a true reflection of what a team can present. So if you get carried away by the rating, you could be surprised on the matchday.”

Madugu closed by affirming his team’s readiness and tactical focus ahead of their first match, while reiterating the respect they have for their group opponents.

“It is what happens on the matchday that really matters, so for us there are no easy teams. We respect Botswana, Algeria, and Tunisia. We’ll treat them with respect as we approach each of our games,” he said.

“We will stick to our game plan and see how it goes.”

The Super Falcons begin their campaign on Sunday against Tunisia, and per their “Mission X” mantra, aim to win a record-extending 10th WAFCON title and secure qualification for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.