The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered immediate resignation of Justin Madugu and members of the Super Falcons technical crew following the team’s poor outing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The federation revealed the decision today in a short statement on its official X account.
“The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has directed members of the technical crew of the @NGSuper_Falcons to come down with immediate effect,” the NFF said.
This decision came after the Super Falcons failed to automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after their hard WAFCON campaign.
Nigeria were stunned by debutants Malawi at the start of their Group C campaign, however Malawi went on to reach the final before losing to Cameroon who won the continental title on Sunday. African & Diaspora
The Super Falcons made it to the quarter-finals but were knocked out by eventual winners Cameroon, eliminating their chances of automatic qualification to the World Cup through the competition.
Nigeria were then offered a second chance to qualify via a play-off against South Africa but were again beaten and their World Cup ambitions were left dangling on a different qualification road.
Madugu was part of the Super Falcons’ technical set-up from November 2021 when he and Edwin Okon were named to the coaching team by the NFF as part of efforts to rebuild the national women’s squad.
The latest decision represents a huge shift for the Falcons’ technical department as the NFF begins the process of identifying a new coaching structure for the team.
The setback also comes after Nigeria’s senior men’s team, the Super Eagles, failed to automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Africans and the Diaspora
The Super Eagles finished runners-up in their qualifying group before falling to DR Congo in the African play-off final, losing 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
The senior national teams have suffered huge qualification setbacks and now the NFF is under pressure to fix the technical and institutional problems impacting Nigeria’s fortunes in international football.
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