Embattled NFF sacks Falcons technical crew

The Nigeria Football Federation has dismissed the technical staff of the Super Falcons, including coach Justine Madugu, due to the team’s poor performance at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and their failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This decision arrives amid controversy surrounding the NFF ahead of their elective congress on September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Madugu, who faced criticism after the Falcons’ opening-day loss to Malawi, was in charge when the team won the WAFCON title in Morocco last year. The Falcons fell short of the semi-finals for the first time this year, missing out on an automatic World Cup spot. They were given a chance through the play-offs but lost to South Africa 2-1, ending their World Cup hopes for the first time since 1991.

To investigate Nigeria’s recent performance issues, the NFF has established a fact-finding committee led by former international Fanny Amun and including former Super Falcons captain Desire Oparanozie, former Super Eagles captain Mutiu Adepoju, former Nigeria U-20 coach Ladan Bosso, and former FIFA referee Alex Mana.