Justine Madugu Secures Two-Year Extension As Super Falcons Coach After WAFCON Qualification

Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu, has officially confirmed that he has signed a new two-year contract extension with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which will see him remain at the helm of the women’s national team until 2027.

According to Ireporter Online, Madugu made the confirmation on Tuesday shortly after guiding the nine-time African champions to qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The Super Falcons sealed their spot in the continental tournament following a 1-1 draw against the Benin Republic in Abeokuta, completing a 3-1 aggregate victory.

“I have been given a new contract from October 1, 2025, to October 1, 2027,” Madugu disclosed to journalists after the game.

The 61-year-old tactician expressed satisfaction with the team’s qualification but acknowledged that the performance did not meet expectations.

“The draw didn’t come as a surprise because we knew it was going to be a difficult match. The Beninoise side were well-prepared, and it was never going to be easy,” he noted. “However, I also want to apologise to Nigerians for not living up to their expectations. Every time the Super Falcons play, the expectations are always high. Sometimes, teams have off days, and today happened to be one of those.”

Madugu described the match as a “wake-up call” for the squad as they shift focus toward the 2026 WAFCON, which also serves as the African qualifying tournament for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

“We are not discouraged. Instead, we see this as an opportunity to reflect and identify the areas we must improve on,” he said.

In Tuesday’s game, defender Ashleigh Plumptre opened the scoring for Nigeria with a 12th-minute header from an Esther Okoronkwo corner before Benin Republic equalised in the second half. The result was enough to secure Nigeria’s place in next year’s tournament.

Madugu will now turn his attention to strengthening his squad ahead of the WAFCON, scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3, 2026.