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WAFCON 2024: Justine Madugu goes spiritual ahead of Super Falcons quarter final clash with Copper Queens
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team has spoken to the press ahead of Friday’s quarter final clash with Zambia at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Casablanca, Morocco.
The gaffer went spiritual when asked about the team’s previous record of nine titles, and fourth place finish in 2022.
The team last won the title in 2018 when Ghana hosted the tournament hoping to reclaim the 2022 title won by South Africa.
“Winning or losing isn’t always by plan—it’s sometimes destiny. But our mindset, preparation, and mentality are all about winning. We want the best outcome.”
Apart from the spiritual aspect of the game, Madugu spoke on other issues pertaining to the team as they prepare for a huge encounter against Zambia.
On Team Preparation:
“Preparations have been good. The girls are in high spirits and fully ready. We’ve prepared specifically for Zambia, understanding their strengths and having our own plans in place.”
On Zambia:
“Zambia are a good team but not unbeatable. We’ve studied them. They too are uncomfortable facing us because they know what we can do. It will be a more open game. We are calm and ready.”
On Goalscoring Challenges:
“We’ve struggled with conversion. The girls create chances even against low blocks, but we’ve focused on improving finishing in recent sessions. It’s a process, not magic.”
On Injuries:
Ifeoma Onumonu: “She had a slight medical challenge but is getting better. We hope she’s ready for the game.”
Chioma Okafor: “She had a hand injury and doctors advised against playing for 12 days. We’re respecting that.”
On Key Players and Recognition:
“Plumptre and Ajibade being named in the group stage best XI is well-deserved. It’s motivation for others. We hope to have more recognized in later stages.”
On Lessons from Previous Matches:
“Every game teaches you. Even with opposition playing deep, we created chances—conversion is our main headache. We trust the girls to make an impact this time.”
On Pressure Against Zambia:
“Zambia’s quality adds pressure, leaving no room for error. We are fully prepared and waiting for the game.”
Friday’s clash is billed to kick off by 5:00 pm Nigerian time with the winner sailing to the semi final.
