Madugu apologises, Falcons heartbroken as NFF probes W’Cup failure

Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu, has apologised to Nigerians and accepted full responsibility for the team’s failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as the Nigeria Football Federation set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the campaign, while the players remain heartbroken, Saturday PUNCH reports.

Nigeria’s World Cup hopes were ended on Thursday following a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the Confederation of African Football play-off in Casablanca, at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Falcons had already missed an automatic World Cup ticket after a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon, a result that also ended their record of reaching at least the semi-finals at every previous WAFCON and handed the ten-time African champions their worst-ever finish in the competition.

Against South Africa, Thembi Kgatlana broke the deadlock in the fifty-sixth minute before Refiloe Jane doubled the advantage in the seventy-seventh minute. Nigeria were handed a lifeline in stoppage time after a VAR review awarded them a penalty and saw Jane sent off, and Christy Ucheibe converted from the spot, but the Falcons could not find an equaliser as Banyana Banyana held on for victory.

The result means Nigeria will miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1991, having featured at every edition since. South Africa, meanwhile, advance to the intercontinental play-off tournament in November and December, where three teams will secure the remaining African World Cup slots.

Speaking in a post-match interview, Madugu did not hold back in accepting blame for the outcome.

“I have to apologise to Nigerians over our inability to make it to the World Cup. We are very sorry. It was not our intention. We came, did the best that we could, but our best was not good enough. And we’re very sorry for that, and we take full responsibility for everything that happened. There can always be a next time. I’m sorry,” Madugu said.

The coach attributed the defeat to individual defensive errors and wastefulness in front of goal, insisting Nigeria had done enough to win the contest.

“We had chances. Still, the conversion was another problem. And we made some little errors at the back. They capitalised on that, and they got the goals that they also got. This was a game we would have finished in the first half based on the opportunities that we had, but we couldn’t utilise them. We have to blame ourselves for it,” he said.

Reacting to the outcome, Super Falcons captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, said the disappointment must serve as motivation for Nigerian women’s football to raise its standards.

“There are a lot of lessons for us to learn from this. This is a wake-up call for us to rise again and not rest on our laurels. We should learn not to be lax because the competition is fierce now. We must realise we are not invincible; we just need to prepare more, get better, and demand more of ourselves individually and collectively,” the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder said.

Rinsola Babajide, who featured for Nigeria throughout the tournament, took to social media to describe the experience as heartbreaking but insisted the Falcons would recover.

“Heartbroken to say the least. It really hurts to miss out on a World Cup spot, but grateful for the opportunity to represent my country at yet another WAFCON. We might be down right now, but we will definitely bounce back, the only way we know how to, the Naija way. Time to reset, reflect and work ahead towards the Olympic qualifiers,” she wrote.

In the wake of the failed campaign, the NFF has set up a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Falcons’ elimination as well as broader issues affecting the performances of Nigeria’s national teams. Former NFF General Secretary, Ambassador Fanny Amun, has been appointed chairman of the panel, with former Nigeria U-20 coach, Ladan Bosso, serving as a member alongside former Super Falcons captain, Desire Oparanozie; ex-Super Eagles captain, Mutiu Adepoju; and former FIFA referee, Dr Alex Mana. Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu, chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, will serve as secretary of the committee.