Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has laid bare his tactical vision for Nigeria’s reigning African champions, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 61-year-old tactician has vowed to restore the team’s traditional attacking flair and move beyond the defensive systems favoured by his predecessors.
Since replacing Randy Waldrum after the 2024 Olympic Games, Madugu has made a thunderous start. Under his command, the Falcons qualified for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco and stormed to the title in spectacular fashion at the tournament proper.
Nigeria won five matches, drew one, lost none, while firing 14 goals and conceding just three.
That return is a sharp improvement from the nine goals scored and four conceded under Waldrum’s leadership at the 2022 WAFCON, when South Africa dethroned Nigeria. Not since 2014, 11 years ago, had the Falcons produced such a prolific attacking performance at the continental showpiece.
Justine Madugu believes this success is only the beginning.
“They (former Falcons coaches) adopted a more defensive approach and relied a bit on the counterattack,” Madugu told Yahoo Sports.
“But for us, as Africans, as Nigerians, we love expressing ourselves [on the pitch] … When you defend and you regain possession, what do you do? You attack … It’s more about numbers, about how many people are playing at the back and then how many people are going forward.”
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Justine Madugu eyes 2027 World Cup glory
Under Waldrum, Nigeria enjoyed a promising 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign; beating co-hosts Australia, and avoiding defeat against Ireland, Canada and England in regular time.
England eventually edged the Falcons on penalties in the Round of 16, but that performance convinced Madugu that Nigeria can go even further.
“The players we are going to play against [at the World Cup] are the same players they play against at their clubs, so what is the difference?” Madugu asked.
“We must believe in ourselves. We must believe in our abilities. I see the team getting to that level [of reaching the World Cup semi-final or final], if given all the necessary support … We need to improve on a lot of things, particularly the facilities and the welfare of the players.”
The coach’s long-term focus is the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, for which the 2026 WAFCON will serve as qualifiers. He wants the Falcons not only to qualify, as they have unfailingly done since 1991, but to challenge for the ultimate prize.
The Falcons have taken the first major step towards that goal by qualifying for WAFCON 2026. That was achieved by beating Benin Republic 3-1 on aggregate during the last international window.
