The Nigeria Football Federation has extended the contract of Super Falcons head coach, Justin Madugu, until 2027, after qualifying the team for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, slated for Morocco between March 17 and April 3.
Mr Madugu disclosed this during a post-match conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday, when he led the team to a 1-1 second leg draw and a 3-1 aggregate victory over Benin Republic, after the 2-0 win in Lome, Togo, in the reverse fixture on Friday.
Mr Madugu, who led the Super Falcons to clinch the WAFCON title in 2024 said, “I have been given a new contract from October 1, 2025, till October 1, 2027.”
The second leg fixture saw Ashleigh Plumptre score her first ever goal for the team in the 12th minute when she connected with a header from a corner kick by Esther Okoronkwo, before Beninese drew level in the second half.
Speaking on the second leg draw, Mr Madugu, said although the result qualified the team for the tournament, he was unhappy with their performance in the second half when the opponent equalised.
The 61-year-old said, “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 Beninois team. 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.”
The 10-time African champions are now on course for a record-extending 11th title after clinching it in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024.
Nigeria’s spot in the 2026 WAFCON was confirmed despite the lacklustre draw.
