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Justine Madugu apologises to Nigerians after Falcons’ draw against Benin
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team head coach, Justin Madugu, has admitted that his team’s performance fell short of expectations after Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Benin Republic in the second leg of their 2026 WAFCON qualifying tie in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
Despite the disappointing result, the draw was enough to send Nigeria through to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they will defend the title won in Morocco this year and also aim to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons entered the match full of confidence after a 2-0 first-leg victory away from home but struggled to replicate that performance in front of their home fans, allowing the visitors to secure a surprise draw.
Speaking after the game, Madugu expressed his disappointment and took responsibility for the team’s underwhelming display.
“Good evening everybody. For me, it didn’t come much as a surprise because we knew it was going to be a tough game. The Beninese team are organized and we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Madugu said.
“However, I want to use this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for not meeting their expectations. Each time the Super Falcons play, there are always high expectations in terms of results and performance. Sometimes there can be off days, and I think today was one of those.”
The coach commended his players for their effort but admitted there is room for improvement as preparations continue for future competitions.
“The girls did their best, but from the result and performance, it wasn’t what we really expected. We’ll take this as a wake-up call and continue to build from here,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Benin Republic Amazons celebrated their spirited performance, with players in jubilant mood despite missing out on qualification for the WAFCON.
Their coach expressed pride in his team’s display, saying the result was a reflection of their growth and determination to keep improving.
