Super Falcons coach Madugu identifies what the team needs to win the WAFCON

Madugu, who was nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or Johan Cruyff Award, recently signed a two-year contract extension after leading the team to victory in the previous WAFCON edition. 

With a World Cup spot on the line at the 2026 tournament, the 62-year-old coach has outlined his strategy for retaining the continental crown.

The Super Falcons will begin their WAFCON 2026 title defence in Group C, with their opening match scheduled against Malawi's Scorchers on July 28th at Stade El Barid.

In a recent interview with CAF Online, the former Plateau United manager emphasised that despite their success, the ten-time African champions are not a finished product.

"We are not a perfect team yet. We have made a lot of observations in the course of the pre-WAFCON matches we played and even during the WAFCON itself. We have analysed many areas that we know we need to work on."

While Madugu chose not to disclose the specific technical details, he stressed the coaching staff's commitment to continuous development.

"These are technical areas that we will keep to ourselves while we continue working on them. 

“The important thing is that we recognise there is always room for improvement and we will continue striving to make the team better."

Reflecting on the victorious WAFCON 2024 campaign, Madugu revealed that the path to the title was fraught with difficulties, including off-field distractions and logistical issues.

"Challenges will always be there. There were a lot of distractions from different angles just to ensure that we lost focus, but we tried as much as possible to keep everybody focused," he explained. 

"Even when we got to Morocco, accommodation was an issue and there were financial matters, but we didn't allow any of those things to distract us because we knew what we were there for."

Madugu credited the team's resilience and the positive atmosphere within the squad for their ultimate success. 

"The players remained focused, and the harmonious environment we created between the technical crew, backroom staff and players ensured that we did well," he concluded.