Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has defended his tactical decisions following Nigeria’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Malawi, insisting that criticism over his team selection is expected whenever a team loses.
The defending African champions suffered one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) history after tournament debutants Malawi stunned them in a thrilling Group C encounter. The result has intensified scrutiny of Madugu’s tactical approach ahead of a must-win clash against Zambia.
One of the biggest talking points after the match was Madugu’s decision to deploy defender Michelle Alozie at left-back, while several other players also featured outside their preferred positions. The coach, however, rejected suggestions that his tactical choices were responsible for the defeat.
“When things like this happen, everybody has their opinion,” Madugu told reporters after the match. “If we had won, the comments people would be making would not be the same.”
Explaining his decision, Madugu said injuries and defensive challenges forced the technical crew to adjust the lineup. He praised Alozie for her performance and argued that the goals Nigeria conceded were not the result of her playing outside her usual role.
“We had some challenges in defence, and Michelle gave everything she had. The mistake didn’t come from her position. She is a good defender, and if we didn’t believe she could play there, we wouldn’t have selected her,” he said.
Despite defending his tactical approach, the Super Falcons coach accepted responsibility for the disappointing result. He admitted the technical crew must review the mistakes made against Malawi and ensure the team responds positively in its next outing.
“We accept responsibility for what happened. We’ll go back, analyse the mistakes and work on correcting them. The players are flexible and capable of adapting to different positions, but we know we must improve,” Madugu added.
The coach described the defeat as a timely warning for the nine-time African champions, stressing that no team at the tournament should be underestimated. He dismissed suggestions that Nigeria overlooked Malawi, insisting his side had closely monitored the Scorchers’ progress before the tournament.
“We never took Malawi for granted. They are a very good team and prepared well for this competition. Women’s football is improving across Africa, and every team that qualifies for WAFCON deserves respect. They played well and earned the result,” he said.
Nigeria must now quickly regroup before facing Zambia in a crucial Group C fixture. Another disappointing result could seriously threaten the Super Falcons’ hopes of defending their WAFCON title, making the upcoming encounter one of the most important matches of their campaign.
