Super Falcons Secure Vital 1-0 Victory Over Zambia
Justin Madugu brushed aside criticism of his selection and tactics after guiding the Super Falcons to a crucial 1-0 win against Zambia at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
In response to the scrutiny, Madugu made several changes to the starting XI, recalling Asisat Oshoala, Deborah Abiodun and Christy Ucheibe. Rofiat Imuran earned a starting spot, while Shukurat Oladipo came off the bench to make an immediate impact.
Oshoala struck in the eighth minute, and her goal proved decisive despite Nigeria playing with ten players for more than 50 minutes after Tosin Demehin received a red card in the 40th minute.
Coach Defends Decisions, Embraces Criticism
Reflecting on the match, Madugu admitted the side fell short of expectations against Malawi but praised the character shown in the bounce‑back victory.
“Sometimes you have bad days, and things don’t work. We made so many mistakes in the previous game, we adjusted our game plan, and we got the result,” he said during the post‑match interview.
The coach also stressed that criticism is part of the job and will not distract him from his responsibilities.
“For criticism, it is something we must learn to deal with as a coach because you cannot please everybody and everybody sees football from a different perspective. It’s just for you to believe in what you do. You must be ready to take the blame for anything that happens,” he added.
Player Praises Team Resilience
Player of the Match Michelle Alozie highlighted the lessons learned from the Malawi loss, noting the disciplined display against a fast, physical and technical Zambia side.
“We knew Zambia is a really tough team. They are super fast, physical and very technical. We learned the lesson after playing against Malawi, so we knew we needed to drop the line,” Alozie said while receiving her award.
“It was a hell of a game. Tosin played her heart out. It was unfortunate that she was shown a red card, but I’m glad we were able to come together with a player down and get the win.”
Group C Standings and Road Ahead
The victory keeps Nigeria’s quarter‑final hopes alive. The Super Falcons now have three points from two matches, sitting third in Group C behind Malawi (six points) and Zambia (three points on better goal difference), while Egypt remains pointless.
To advance, Nigeria must defeat Egypt convincingly in their final group match on Wednesday and hope the Malawi‑Zambia result works in their favour as they pursue an 11th WAFCON title and a berth at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
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