Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has defended his tactical decisions following Nigeria’s stunning 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, insisting the criticism surrounding his team selection and player positioning is a natural consequence of losing.
Speaking during his post-match press conference after one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history, Madugu accepted responsibility for the result but maintained that the players deployed outside their natural positions were not responsible for Nigeria’s collapse.
The defeat leaves the defending champions under immense pressure ahead of a crucial Group C encounter against Zambia, with questions already being raised over the coach’s tactical approach.
Madugu dismisses criticism over players’ positions
One of the major talking points after the defeat was Madugu’s decision to deploy Michelle Alozie at left-back, with several other players also operating outside their preferred positions.
The tactical setup attracted widespread criticism from supporters and pundits, but the Super Falcons coach insisted those decisions were not the reason Nigeria suffered defeat.
“When things like this happen, everybody has their opinion. Everybody is entitled to say whatever they say,” Madugu said.
“If we had won, the comments people would be making would not be the same.”
The coach pointed to previous tournaments where similar tactical adjustments had yielded positive results.
“When we played the last edition, and we were playing Ashley from the left full-back, Ashley was not a left full-back, but she played there, and everybody appreciated what she did because she did very well.”
Explaining his latest decision, Madugu revealed that defensive challenges within the squad influenced his selection.
“We had some challenges in defence, and even from where Michelle played today, I think she needs to be commended and appreciated because she gave it all, and she did very well.”
According to the coach, Alozie’s positioning was not directly linked to the goals Nigeria conceded.
“The mistake didn’t come from her position.”
“It’s not her involvement in that area that caused those goals that we conceded. So, the issue of her being played out of position does not arise.”
“She’s a good player. She’s a defender, and if we don’t have confidence or believe that she can play from that position, we would not play her.”
We accept responsibility
Despite defending his tactical decisions, Madugu acknowledged that criticism comes with the job and admitted the technical crew must learn from the painful defeat.
“As I said, there will always be criticism and comments when things like this go wrong.”
“We accept those things.”
“We accept responsibility for whatever happened, and then we’ll go back and try to work on whatever mistakes we may have noticed.”
The coach also highlighted the versatility within his squad, insisting several players are capable of performing effectively in different roles.
“The players in the team are very flexible.”
“We have a lot of very flexible players in the team. So, that she played from that position is not an issue.”
Looking ahead, Madugu expressed confidence that the Super Falcons would recover from the setback.
“We will need to get over whatever may have happened.”
“We’ll get it right the next time.”
‘This is a wake-up call’
Madugu admitted the defeat should serve as an important reminder of the challenges awaiting the defending champions at this year’s tournament.
Describing the result as a timely warning, he stressed that Nigeria cannot afford complacency.
“It’s a wake-up call for all of us. We all know the importance of this edition of the WAFCON, and we’re not taking anything for granted.”
“It’s a wake-up call for us.”
Coach insists Malawi were never underestimated.
With many observers suggesting Nigeria may have underestimated tournament debutants Malawi, Madugu firmly rejected that suggestion.
According to him, the Super Falcons were fully aware of the quality within the Scorchers squad before kick-off.
“We never took them for granted.”
“We’ve also been following their progress.”
The coach said Malawi’s victory reflected the remarkable improvement of women’s football across Africa.
“It’s a testament to the development of the game across the continent.”
“You don’t take anybody for granted.”
He also referenced the surprise results recorded elsewhere in the tournament as further evidence of the growing competitiveness of African women’s football.
READ ALSO: WAFCON 2026: Six major takeaways from Super Falcons historic defeat to Malawi
“We saw the result in one of the games yesterday, and today we are seeing another.”
Madugu praises Malawi’s quality.
The Super Falcons coach reserved special praise for Malawi, describing them as a well-prepared side whose growth has been aided by regular competition in the COSAFA region.
“The Malawians are a good side and we are all aware of that, they have very good players. We know their preparations.”
“They prepared very well, and the advantage of having to play a lot of games within the COSAFA region helps in the development of teams from within that region.”
Madugu reiterated that every nation that reaches the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations deserves respect regardless of pedigree.
“It’s not as if we took them for granted or underrated them by any means because we knew they were a good side.”
“Any team that qualifies for the WAFCON deserves to be respected.”
Acknowledging Malawi’s impressive display, the Nigerian coach admitted the Scorchers earned their famous victory.
“They did well, they played well, and then they got the result they probably worked for. So, it’s something that we must learn to live with, get over it and get to the next round.”
With Zambia next on the schedule, Madugu and the Super Falcons now face the daunting task of responding immediately if they are to keep their hopes of retaining the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title alive.
