Justin Madugu has explained the adjustments the Super Falcons must make to stand a better chance of defeating Zambia when both sides at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigerian take on the Copper Queens in their second Group C match later tonight, looking to bounce back from their shock 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their opening game on Tuesday.
Temwa Chawinga and her elder sister Tabitha Chawinga tore through Nigeria's defence in that encounter, scoring the goals that earned Malawi a historic first-ever WAFCON victory on their tournament debut.
Rasheedat Ajibade and Uchenna Kanu were on target for Nigeria, but the 10-time African champions now head into the clash against Zambia knowing they must avoid defeat to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
WAFCON 2026: Madugu explains how Super Falcons can beat Zambia
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Madugu reflected on the disappointing defeat to Malawi, which has since drawn heavy criticism following the team's below-par performance.
Although some of his tactical decisions came under scrutiny, the 62-year-old insisted they were not solely responsible for the defeat and has now revealed that the team have learnt important lessons ahead of the crucial encounter with Zambia.
“We have done the analysis of what happened in the last game and where we got it all wrong”, Madugu said, via ESPN.
“Actually, we have to blame ourselves because we didn't do certain things right. The plan we had was to play high, keep the opposition in their half, and see how we can exploit whatever opportunities that come our way.
“If we win the ball in the opposition's half, it is easier and closer for us to get to the opponent's goal and possibly hurt them. While we are also aware that in the event of a transition, we can also be hurt, so we must be careful with that. Things didn't just work out the way we wanted.”
Nigeria head into the fixture needing a positive result to avoid an early and unexpected exit from the tournament. The Super Falcons are also eager to keep their campaign on track as they continue their quest to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Madugu is confident his players have addressed the mistakes from the opening game and believes they have put together the right plan to deal with Zambia.
“For the Zambia game, we have also done the same thing. We've also looked at them”, Madugu continued.
“They are also watching us. They are also analyzing our own team to look at everybody's strengths and weaknesses and where they can capitalize.
“We are fully aware of all that. We keep working, and we know exactly how to address whatever it is that we have analysed. We are coming up with a plan to address that”, the 62-year-old concluded.
Madugu has plenty to fix ahead of the meeting with Zambia, as another defeat would send Nigeria crashing out of the competition and bring an end to their title defence.
The Super Falcons and the Copper Queens will face off at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Nigerian time.
