Nigeria: Super Falcons staff dismissed after CAN failure and World Cup 2027 qualification miss

Morocco 2026 Women's AFCON claims its first casualty. The Nigerian Football Federation has decided to immediately relieve Justine Madugu and his technical staff of their duties at the helm of the Super Falcons.

This decision comes in the wake of a historic setback. Nigeria will not participate in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. For the first time since the tournament's inception in 1991, the ten-time African champions will miss the global showpiece.

A failed African campaign

Nigeria's journey at the 2026 Women's AFCON began with a 2-3 loss to Malawi. The Super Falcons then scraped into the quarterfinals with a pair of narrow victories—1-0 over Zambia and a commanding 6-2 win against Egypt. The turning point came in the quarterfinals. Powerless to respond, they fell 0-1 to eventual champions Cameroon. The final blow came in the playoffs with a 1-2 defeat to South Africa, sealing their failure to qualify for Brazil 2027.

NFF turns the page

Justine Madugu, who had delivered Nigeria's 10th continental crown at the 2024 edition held in 2025, now pays the price for these results. The Federation must now seek a new technical team capable of reigniting the Super Falcons and preparing for upcoming challenges.

For a nation that has never missed a single FIFA Women's World Cup, the absence in 2027 comes as a true shockwave.

Nafongo TRAORE |

News Editorfr, ar, en

Nafongon Moussa TRAORE, Burkinabè de 25 ans, est passionné de football, est rédacteur pour Foot Africa et commentateur pour BurkiFoot.

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