Nigeria’s Madugu set for best coach award as CAF makes timetable plans for 2026 WAFCON

Nigeria’s Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu is set to finally discover his fate in the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year race, Soccernet.ng reports.

This is after Africa’s football governing body confirmed January 15 as the date for the long-delayed announcement of its women’s awards.

The decision comes months after Madugu led Nigeria to a historic triumph at the delayed 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), a tournament that firmly re-established the Super Falcons as the dominant force in African women’s football.

Under Madugu’s guidance, Nigeria defeated every opponent placed in their path – including high-flying Zambia, defending champions South Africa and hosts Morocco in a dramatic final – to lift a record-extending 10th continental title, equalling a world record in women’s international football.

That extraordinary campaign transformed Madugu into one of the most celebrated coaching figures on the continent. He was subsequently nominated among the best coaches in the world, becoming the first African coach to earn a Ballon d’Or nomination.

By the time the CAF Awards ceremony took place in November, the same night Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi succeeded Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman as Africa Footballer of the Year, Madugu was widely considered the clear favourite to win the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year prize.

But in a move that sparked confusion across the continent, CAF declined to announce a winner for the women’s coaching category. At the time, it appeared Madugu had been denied the award altogether.

CAF has now clarified that the prize was not cancelled, but postponed.

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Nigeria: Awards night finally set as CAF confirms WAFCON 2026 draw

The Confédération Africaine de Football has confirmed that the outstanding Women’s Awards for 2025 will be announced on January 15 in Rabat, the same day the final draw for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 will take place.

CAF will announce the winners of three categories: CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, and CAF Women’s Club of the Year.

The awards were originally delayed because the women’s football season had not concluded, due to the CAF Women’s Champions League. Earlier this week, CAF officially reopened voting for the three categories.

CAF has stressed that it does not participate in the voting process, but only oversees and coordinates it.

The WAFCON 2026 draw itself will mark a historic milestone, as the tournament will feature an expanded 16-team field for the first time. The ceremony will begin at 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT) in Rabat.

The qualified teams are: Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.