Nigeria federation president Gusau praises coach Justin Madugu on Super Falcons’ WAFCON triumph

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has commended Coach Justin Madugu for his instrumental role in guiding the Nigeria’s senior women’s national team the Super Falcons to a historic and unbeaten championship run at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

In an exclusive interview with CAFOnline.com, Gusau described the NFF’s decision to appoint Madugu as head coach, to be a bold but calculated move, as he knows the team.

“His impact is very clear. You could see it in every match as we progressed.

The key thing is that he knows the team very well, because he has been with the team for a long time.”

Gusau emphasized that Madugu’s appointment was part of a deliberate policy to trust and invest in indigenous talent especially coaches who possess both the technical expertise and a deep understanding of their squads.

“We need to have confidence in our indigenous coaches, especially when they have the qualifications and technical experience. Coach Madugu has both. He had been part of the team for over three years, so we felt it was time to give him that opportunit.”

The NFF President further reiterated the federation’s commitment to supporting Madugu’s continued development and success.

“We will do all we can to support him — technically and otherwise — so he is well-equipped to face future challenges.”

Madugu’s historic WAFCON win was a record-extending 10th continental title and has been hailed as a triumph for homegrown coaches.