As jubilation continues across Nigeria following the Super Falcons’ historic 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title, head coach Justin Madugu has offered a sober reminder that more work lies ahead if Nigeria wants to maintain dominance and become a global force in women’s football.
Speaking during a press briefing, Coach Madugu praised the team’s recent success but spoke more on the importance of long-term planning, squad depth, and a collective approach to sustain excellence.
“We Try to Build a Team, Not Stars” – Justin Madugu
Madugu made it clear that the strength of the Super Falcons does not lie in individual brilliance but in collective effort:
“It’s a team sport and we try to build a team. We don’t build a team around an individual. We try to play as a team so that whoever comes in knows what the team needs and can easily fit into what the team does.”
He declared that depending on a single star player is not a sustainable strategy:
“It’s not about an individual. We are not talking about establishing star players. Their performances will determine what people or how people access them but for us, we try to build a team, a complete team, not building the team around any individual so that in case that individual does not come to the party on the game day, then what happens?”
“The team runs into a problem. It becomes an issue. So we try as much as possible to make it a general team.”
“Let’s play together as a team so that even when one is out, whoever comes in fits in and the game continues the way we have strategized or we have planned to implement.“
“I Will Love to Continue” – Coach Justin Madugu
Coach Madugu revealed his desire to continue in his role, stating that his tenure so far is just the beginning of what he envisions for the Super Falcons:
“If given the chance to continue to lead the team, there are ideas already lined up to make the team even better.”
According to him, building a strong structure and a pipeline of fresh talents will be essential in raising the level of competition within the squad:
“A structure is needed to help introduce new players who can offer new challenges to those already in the team and make it more competitive and formidable.”
