Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has confirmed that he has been handed a new two-year contract by the Nigeria Football Federation, extending his stay in charge of the women’s national team until 2027.
Justine Madugu revealed the news on Tuesday after guiding the nine-time African champions to qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
ThemomentNG reports that the Super Falcons secured their spot with a 1-1 draw against the Benin Republic in Abeokuta, completing a 3-1 aggregate win.
“I have been given a new contract from October 1, 2025 till October 1, 2027,” Madugu told reporters after the match.
The 61-year-old coach expressed his delight over the team’s qualification but admitted that the display was below par.
“The draw didn’t come as a surprise because we knew it was going to be a tough game. It was not going to be an easy game based on what we knew about the Beninoise team,” he said.
“However, I equally want to use this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for not meeting their expectations. Each time the Super Falcons go out to play, there are always high expectations in terms of results and performance. Sometimes there can be off days, there can be bad days, and we want to consider today’s match from that perspective.”
Madugu described the result as a “wake-up call” for the squad as they begin preparations for the 2026 WAFCON, which also serves as the African qualifiers for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“We are not too disappointed. We are taking it as a wake-up call for us to know that there’s more work to be done,” he added.
In Tuesday’s encounter, defender Ashleigh Plumptre scored her first goal for Nigeria, heading home from an Esther Okoronkwo corner in the 12th minute before Benin found a second-half equaliser. The result was enough to book Nigeria’s place in next year’s tournament.
Madugu will now focus on building a stronger team ahead of the WAFCON, scheduled to take place from March 17 to April 3, 2026.
