National Teams

WAFCON 2024: Justine Madugu confident as Nigeria target win over Botswana

Published

1 year ago

3:29 pm

WAFCON 2024: Justine Madugu confident as Nigeria target win over Botswana

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Nigeria head coach Justine Madugu has expressed confidence ahead of Nigeria’s Group B clash with Botswana at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), describing victory as a “huge possibility.”

Nigeria, who top the group following an opening win, face Botswana on Thursday in Casablanca.

A second consecutive victory would not only cement their position at the top of the group but also secure an early qualification for the quarter-finals.

Recalling Nigeria’s 2–0 win over Botswana in the 2022 edition hosted by the same country — with goals from Ifeoma Onumonu and Christy Ucheibe — Madugu emphasized the team’s focus and determination.

“As I said before the commencement of the tournament, we remain focused on our Mission X, and we believe that victory over Botswana is a huge possibility,” Madugu told thenff.com.

“We are taking it one match at a time without taking any team for granted.”

Nine-time champions Nigeria are aiming for a record-extending 10th WAFCON title and will be looking to build momentum with a strong performance on Thursday.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams. In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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WAFCON 2024: Justine Madugu confident as Nigeria target win over Botswana

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