Madugu suggests changes may be coming following Nnadozie's mistakes

Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu has come to the defense of goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, whose mistake led to Nigeria's quarter-final loss to Cameroon, but he is open to exploring other options ahead of the crucial 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off against South Africa on Thursday.

n

Nnadozie has faced intense criticism following a challenging WAFCON campaign, with her positioning being blamed for several goals conceded by Nigeria, including the Falcons' 3-2 defeat by Malawi in their opening group game.

n

Despite the criticism, Nnadozie went on to keep a clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Zambia, before conceding twice in Nigeria's 6-2 victory over Egypt in their final group game, showcasing her ability to bounce back from mistakes.

n

However, her failure to cover the other side of the goal in Sunday's quarter-final against Cameroon allowed Myriam Maéva Nyadjou's stunning free-kick to find the net, giving Cameroon a 1-0 victory and reigniting criticism of Nnadozie's performance.

n

Madugu insists that Nnadozie's mistakes should not overshadow her quality as a goalkeeper, citing her impressive record as a three-time CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of The Year Award winner.

n

Madugu expressed his support for Nnadozie, stating that anyone can make mistakes, and that these mistakes can be costly, but do not define a player's abilities as a goalkeeper.

n

Options available to Madugu on the bench include Nigeria Women’s Football League best goalkeeper Fatima Oloko and Portsmouth keeper Comfort Erhabor, who has impressed while being scouted and could potentially challenge Nnadozie for the starting position.

n

While offering his support to Nnadozie, Madugu acknowledged that the technical crew will assess all available options before the Falcons face South Africa, emphasizing the need for an overall assessment of the team's performance.

n

Madugu stated that the technical crew will review what went wrong, what the team did well, and where they can improve, in the shortest possible time before the next game against South Africa.

n

He also emphasized that exploring other players is a natural part of the process, and that there is nothing wrong with considering alternative options.

n

Nigeria's defeat by Cameroon marked the Falcons' worst-ever finish at the WAFCON, as they failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in its history.

n

The result also means that the 10-time African champions missed out on one of Africa's four automatic qualification places for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, making their upcoming play-off against South Africa even more crucial.

n

The Falcons must now beat South Africa in Casablanca on Thursday to advance to FIFA's inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for November and December, which will provide them with another route to the World Cup.