The NFF has sacked Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu and his technical crew after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and set up a panel to investigate.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu and his entire technical crew, days after the team failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1991.
The federation announced the decision in a statement on its official X account on Monday. “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 statement read.
The NFF did not give a specific reason for the sack, according to P.M. News.
A Disappointing Campaign
The Falcons’ World Cup hopes collapsed in two stages. They first missed one of four automatic qualification slots after a 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco a tournament Nigeria entered as defending champions. Cameroon went on to win their first-ever WAFCON title, beating Malawi 3-0 in the final, according to Sporting Tribune.
Nigeria’s last route to the World Cup then closed on August 13, when the team lost to South Africa in the continental playoff. Sources differ slightly on the Falcons’ title count Peoples Gazette described Nigeria as “nine-time African champions,” while ESPN and Blueprint Newspapers referred to a “record-extending 10th” WAFCON title won in 2024/2025.
Madugu had faced intense scrutiny over his player selections and tactics throughout the WAFCON campaign, and had reportedly taken responsibility for the team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, according to Blueprint. Days before the sack, he had apologised for the campaign and said he was not afraid of losing his job, according to Football in Nigeria.
His dismissal comes barely a year after he led the Falcons to their 10th continental title, defeating hosts Morocco in the 2025 final in Rabat, and after CAF named him coach of that tournament, per ESPN. Madugu had been part of the Super Falcons’ technical set-up since November 2021, when he and Edwin Okon were appointed as part of a reorganisation of the team’s coaching structure, according to P.M. News.
Fact-Finding Committee
In a further response to the team’s failings, the NFF appointed and inaugurated a six-member “fact-finding” committee to investigate. The panel is chaired by Fanny Amun, the federation’s former general secretary, and includes Ladan Bosso, former Flying Eagles coach; Desire Oparanozie, former Super Falcons captain; Mutiu Adepoju, former Super Eagles star; and Alex Mana, a former referee. Nasiru Sa’idu, chairman of the Sokoto State Football Association, will serve as secretary.
“We see this as a call to a very important national duty,” Amun said, according to ESPN. “It is not something that can be approached half-hearted. We have to immerse ourselves fully into the processes,” he added.
Wider Pressure on the NFF
The sacking comes amid broader turmoil in Nigerian football administration. ESPN reported that the NFF is also facing questions over whether its leadership will survive long enough to reach federation elections scheduled for September, while Football in Nigeria reported that the National Sports Commission has separately moved against the NFF’s planned electoral congress and is reportedly considering a normalisation committee for the federation.
The Falcons’ World Cup absence follows a similarly disappointing outcome for the men’s team, the Super Eagles, who missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after finishing second in their qualifying group and losing the African play-off final to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties, according to P.M. News and Sporting Tribune.
The NFF has not yet announced a replacement head coach or an interim technical structure for the Super Falcons.
