Madugu frustrated by Falcons' porous backline

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Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu has expressed concern over his side’s defensive lapses at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, as they look forward to their quarter-final clash against Cameroon, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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The 10-time champions have conceded five goals in three games so far, shipping three in their 3-2 defeat to Malawi and two in their 6-2 win over Egypt. Egypt had conceded just one goal in their first two Group B matches before facing Nigeria.

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Madugu admitted that some of the goals his side conceded were avoidable and vowed to work on the defensive lapses ahead of their meeting with the Indomitable Lionesses.

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“We have been a team that has been very solid defensively, but of recent we are conceding very unnecessary goals, which is something that is a bit worrisome, and we have to do a lot of work to try and ensure that the girls do not switch off in the course of any game,” Madugu said during the post-match interview.

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“The manner with which we are conceding those goals calls for serious concern, and it is something that we will have to address.

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“So we have to work more on ourselves, trying to ensure that we minimise the kind of mistakes that we make that result in us conceding goals.”

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Madugu also acknowledged the challenge posed by Cameroon, with both teams having traded victories in a two-leg friendly played in the build-up to the tournament.

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The Falcons lost the first leg before securing victory in the return fixture, but Madugu insisted that neither result would influence Nigeria’s approach to Sunday’s quarter-final.

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“The last time we played against them, we lost against them in the first leg. Then we beat them in the second leg. So it’s not something that we will use the last result to judge and say, no, because we have beaten them in the past.

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“We know what it means, and we will be ready for it.”

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Nigeria advanced to the quarter-finals as the second-placed team from Group C after a dramatic finish in which tie-breakers were required to separate the top three teams, who all finished on six points.

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Debutants Malawi topped the group, with Nigeria second, while Zambia were eliminated after goals scored in matches involving the three teams were used to separate them. Malawi scored four goals in those matches, Nigeria three and Zambia two.

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The Super Falcons will face Cameroon on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat for a place in the semi-finals and a ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

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