Justine Madugu heaps praise on Deborah Abiodun after stellar display against Cape Verde

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Stand-in coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, Justine Madugu has heaped praises on defensive midfielder, Deborah Abiodun after her impressive performance for the team against Cape Verde.

The nine-time African champions stroller past the island country with a 5-0 win in the first leg of the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualifiers.

The game marked the return of Abiodun to the team after her red card in the first group game of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the marching order brought her campaign to an unfortunate end.

The former Adamawa United coach gave words of encouragement to the former Rivers Angels midfielder, highlighting how she can become a better player.

“Even at the World Cup, we really missed Abiodun when she was given that red card because she was an upcoming player, full of energy and we knew what she could bring to the team,” Magudu told media.

“Her absence in the subsequent matches were evident. You can see from what she did today and her performance that she is not a player to be toyed with.

“You have to ensure that you keep encouraging her not to rest on her oars, but also to work harder to become a much better player than she is today.”

The University of Pittsburgh midfielder is expected to play a crucial role when Nigeria faces Cape Verde in the return leg of the final qualifying round of WAFCON 2024 on Tuesday in Praia.

The team has a leg into WAFCON 2024 and is expected to join host, Morocco, holders, South Africa, and Algeria at the tournament.