Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu has described Nigeria’s shock 3-2 defeat to Malawi at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco as a bad day for the team, assuring Nigerians that the 10-time champions will recover from the setback.
The defeat has attracted widespread criticism, with fans questioning the team’s performance against the Malawian Scorchers. But Madugu insisted that his players did not underestimate their opponents. “People are entitled to their opinions. I know they wouldn’t be reacting the way they’re doing if we had won,” he said, adding that the team had identified some of its errors and would analyse them ahead of their next game against Zambia.
The coach also defended his team selection, explaining that Christy Ucheibe was dropped to the bench for tactical reasons, while Deborah Abiodun could not start because of her late arrival at camp. He further backed goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, saying: “Chiamaka is a top-notch player; we generally had a bad day and not a single player issue.”
Madugu acknowledged that excessive social media attention may have affected the players but urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the team. “I assure Nigerians, this sad challenge will be overcome. It has happened to us before, back in 2018. We later won the tournament,” he said.
