Falcons ready to take second chance, says Madugu

Nigeria's Women's National Football Team, the Super Falcons, are eager to capitalize on their second chance to secure a spot at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, according to their coach Justine Madugu. Despite their automatic qualification being eliminated following a 1-0 quarter-final loss to Cameroon at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Madugu insists the setback has only fueled their determination to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil.

The team, who had been aiming to defend their WAFCON title, now face a play-off campaign against South Africa, with the latter standing in their way to qualification. Madugu acknowledged the disappointment of missing out on automatic qualification but emphasized that the players were ready to seize the opportunity when they face the Banyana Banyana.

The coach expressed her regret over the situation, acknowledging the pain felt by everyone involved, and took responsibility for the outcome. She emphasized that Nigeria does not want to repeat the mistakes made by the men's team, the Super Eagles, who also missed out on World Cup qualification due to a similar failure in the CAF play-off tournament.

Madugu believes the Super Falcons possess the quality and resolve to overcome this additional challenge and prevail in their upcoming match against South Africa.