Super Falcons coach Madugu pushes for swift prep ahead of Benin clash

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has urged for immediate preparations ahead of Nigeria’s WAFCON 2026 qualifying campaign, just a month after leading the team to continental glory in Morocco.

The 61-year-old guided Nigeria to their record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title last month, fulfilling “Mission X” and earning a Ballon d’Or nomination in the process.

Madugu emphasized that there is no time to dwell on the triumph, as Nigeria is set to face Benin Republic in a two-legged qualifier this October.

“We have achieved what we have achieved. It has brought so much attention on the team, which has also made our job even more difficult,” Madugu told Brila FM.

“The qualifiers for the next edition start in October. We must begin planning now and also look to assess more players,” he added.

Nigeria will play Benin on October 20, with the return leg scheduled eight days later on home soil.

Madugu noted that limited preparation before the recent tournament restricted opportunities to evaluate new players. “If we had more camps before we travelled, we could have looked at more players, but time was too short,” he said.

He concluded: “Between now and October, we hope to have one or two camps to give new players a chance to showcase their abilities. We already have a programme and template for the next qualifying game.”