Madugu reveals why Super Falcons lost to Cameroon in WAFCON quarter-final

Nigeria head coach Justine Madugu has admitted that his side's inability to take their opportunities proved decisive as the Super Falcons suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria's title defence came to an end at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday after Myriam Nyadjou's 19th-minute free-kick gave Cameroon a narrow victory.

The Super Falcons created several opportunities during the contest but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Michaely Bihina, who produced an outstanding performance to preserve Cameroon's lead.

The result sends the Indomitable Lionesses into the semi-finals, where they will face hosts Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday.

Cameroon have also secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

For Nigeria, however, the World Cup dream remains alive through a play-in fixture against South Africa's Banyana Banyana.

Speaking after the defeat, Madugu expressed his disappointment but identified finishing as the major difference between the two sides.

The Nigerian coach believes his players did enough to create opportunities but failed to make those chances count.

“It was not our intention to lose. If we had been more clinical, the game could have been different,” Madugu said after the match.

Despite Nigeria's disappointment, Madugu refused to take anything away from Cameroon's performance.

The coach acknowledged that the Indomitable Lionesses entered the knockout stage with confidence after topping their group and demonstrated their ability to defend their advantage under sustained pressure.

“I like to give Cameroon credit. They did not qualify initially but came in as one of the best-ranked teams. They came first in their group, winning their two games and drawing against Cape Verde in a match that did not matter as far as position is concerned,” Madugu said.

According to Madugu, Cameroon ultimately did what was necessary to protect their advantage.

He added, “Today, they did the best they could and defended very well, but we created a lot of chances. If we had converted our chances, the result would have been different.”

Although the defeat ended Nigeria's hopes of defending their WAFCON crown, the Super Falcons still have an opportunity to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Nigeria will face South Africa in a play-in match, with a World Cup place at stake.