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EXCLUSIVE: Justin Madugu Clarifies Edna Imade, Gift Monday Omissions from Super Falcons Squad for Benin Republic Clash
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team head coach, Justin Madugu, has shed light on the absence of forwards Edna Imade and Gift Monday from the team’s latest roster for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifying fixture against Benin Republic, assuring fans that both players remain firmly in his plans.
Speaking on the situation surrounding Edna Imade, the 60-year-old manager revealed that the technical crew has been closely monitoring her development in Spain. Imade, who had a stellar season with Granada CF before joining Real Sociedad on loan, is said to be weighing her international future despite multiple approaches from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“I’ve been following her progress, just like that of many of our players overseas. She had an excellent campaign with Granada last season and already doing well on loan at Real Sociedad, and she is aware that we are monitoring her performance. Despite several efforts—writing to her club and even reaching out through some of our players in Spain last season—she is yet to fully make up her mind. Whatever she decides, we respect her decision and wish her good luck,” Madugu said.
The 2025 Women’s Coach Ballon d’Or finalist, however, assured that the door is always open for the Spain-based forward if she will eventually commit her international future to Nigeria.
“I was reliably informed that she was initially keen about playing for Nigeria. I don’t want to feel that her representatives are making the decision difficult for her due to speculated interest from the Spanish national team, but we truly value her talent, just like many others we have in the team, and we would be glad to give her the chance to represent her fatherland. We want the best players, both home-based and abroad, to give us a blend of strong mentality, character, quality, and experience,” he added.
On Gift Monday, the former Robo Queens star who currently plies her trade abroad in United States with Washington Spirit, Madugu dismissed any notion of rift or exclusion, noting that the decision was purely tactical based on current form and competition in the attacking department.
“I have no issues at all with Gift. She is very much part of my plans and will surely play her part in our quest for global success. However, we currently have very strong competition for the forward position, considering the incredible form of players like Esther Okoronkwo, Chiwendu Ihezuo, and even Joy Omewa—who, despite scoring plenty of goals last season as Denmark’s top scorer, had to wait for a long time before getting her chance,” he explained.
Madugu singled out Joy Omewa, who has scored in eight consecutive matches for Denmark’s Fortuna Hjorring this season, including in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, as one of the players whose current form made selection particularly competitive.
“Omewa has already scored in eight consecutive matches this season, including in the Champions League. I have no plans to shortchange anyone or take chances when it comes to selecting the best legs for each position. We will definitely give Gift a look-in during the upcoming camp, where she can have extended playing time, and we can properly assess her performance and compare with those already on ground,” the coach concluded.
The Super Falcons are expected to face Benin Republic in the second leg of their Women’s AFCON qualifier on Tuesday after 2-0 first leg win in Lome, as Madugu continues to fine-tune his squad in pursuit of another continental title and FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.
