The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered the Super Falcons’ technical crew to step down with immediate effect, following the team’s disappointing 2026 campaign that ended with a failure to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The federation announced the decision on Monday in a brief statement posted on its official X account. The technical crew is led by head coach Justin Madugu, with the NFF also instructing the other members of the coaching and backroom staff to leave their positions.
NFF’s Directive and Immediate Effect
“The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the Super Falcons to step down with immediate effect,” the NFF said in a terse post on its official X handle on Monday evening.
The directive applies to all members of the technical crew, including the head coach and other coaching and backroom staff. The NFF did not provide further details in its initial statement, but the move comes after a series of setbacks for the nine-time African champions.
WAFCON Campaign and Quarter-Final Exit
Nigeria endured a difficult WAFCON campaign in Morocco, beginning the tournament with a 3-2 defeat by debutants Malawi in Group C. The Super Falcons’ campaign ended in the quarter-finals, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat by Cameroon.
It was Nigeria’s first elimination at the quarter-final stage of the competition, which took place on August 8, 2026. The defeat saw the female national team lose automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Play-Off Loss and World Cup Miss
Nigeria subsequently had another opportunity to secure a place at the World Cup through the African qualification play-off but lost 2-1 to South Africa in the play-off. That defeat sealed the team’s fate, eliminating any chance of appearing at the global tournament.
The NFF’s decision to sack the technical crew is the immediate consequence of the team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup. The federation has not yet announced a replacement or the next steps for the Super Falcons.
