Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has outlined his objectives for Nigeria ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco (WAFCON 2026), stating that securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil remains the team’s foremost target.
Speaking before the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on March 17, 2026, Madugu explained that while Nigeria will enter the competition as defending champions, the immediate focus is to reach the semi finals to guarantee a place at the global showpiece.
“We will be going as the defending champions, we are aware it is not going to be easy, because it used to be 12 teams, but it is now 16 teams. Now, we have to compete to retain the trophy against 15 other countries.”
“We are quite aware of the challenges that are ahead of us, and we are getting ready for that. We know that other countries want the trophy too,” Madugu said in an exclusive chat with Completesports.com.
“For us, we will be going with the objective of retaining the title . You know retaining the trophy is always more difficult than when you want to win it for the first time.”
“We are aware of all the challenges, and are making all our plans, getting ready to make sure our goal is achieved.”
The 2026 edition of WAFCON will feature 16 teams, an increase from the previous 12, intensifying the level of competition. Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi following the official draw conducted in January at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.
Madugu stressed that reaching the last four is the team’s primary mission, as all four semi finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“The primary goal is to qualify for the World Cup which is coming up in Brazil in 2027. That will be our objective from the start. You have to get to the semi-final first which will qualify us for the World Cup,” Madugu stated.
“That’s why we said that will be our first target. The second objective is getting to the final, because you have to get to the final before you can think of retaining the trophy.”
As part of preparations for the continental tournament, Madugu has named a 25 player squad for high profile international friendlies against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in Yaoundé. The first match is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, with the second fixture set for Tuesday, March 3. The games are expected to provide strong opposition and help the coaching staff fine tune tactics and assess player readiness.
The 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will run from March 17 to April 3 in Morocco, with the added incentive of World Cup qualification increasing the stakes for all participating nations. For the Super Falcons, the campaign will be about balancing the ambition of defending their title with the immediate objective of booking a place at Brazil 2027.
