The Nigeria Football Federation has ordered the technical crew of the Super Falcons, led by Justine Madugu, to step down with immediate effect following the team’s disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The federation announced the decision on Monday in a brief statement issued through its official social media platforms.
“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 said.
The move comes after Nigeria suffered a disappointing campaign at the 2026 WAFCON and subsequently lost its final opportunity to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
The Super Falcons, who had won a record-extending 10th continental title in 2025 under Madugu, failed to reach the semi-finals of this year’s tournament.
They were subsequently given another opportunity to secure a World Cup place through the play-offs but lost 2-1 to South Africa last Thursday.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the tournament and marked the first time the Super Falcons have failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991.
Madugu had taken charge of the Falcons following the departure of former head coach Randy Waldrum and was retained after guiding the side to the continental title last year.
His technical team included former Super Falcons goalkeeper Ann Chiejine and other members of the backroom staff.
NFF opens investigation
The latest decision came as the NFF also inaugurated a fact-finding committee to investigate Nigeria’s recent poor performances in international football.
The committee is headed by former Nigeria international Fanny Amun.
Other members include former Super Falcons captain and four-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner Desire Oparanozie; former Super Eagles captain and Africa Cup of Nations medallist Mutiu Adepoju; former Nigeria Under-20 coach Ladan Bosso; and former FIFA referee and former Head of the Department of Management Studies at the National Institute for Sports, Dr Alex Mana.
Former Nigeria international and NFF Deputy Director in the Technical Department, Nasiru Jibril, is the committee’s secretary.
NFF president Ibrahim Gusau charged the panel with identifying the causes of the national teams’ recent struggles, with particular emphasis on the Falcons’ failure to qualify for the World Cup.
“You are to probe into the direct and remote causes of the poor outings of the National Teams in recent times, but with specific reference to the unexpected failure of the Super Falcons to qualify for the World Cup,” Gusau said.
He gave the committee two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report.
“We have composed this committee believing that you will come up with solutions to the present malaise, having played crucial roles in the Nigeria game in one way or the other for a very long time,” he added.
The investigation follows a difficult period for Nigerian football, with the Super Eagles also missing out on the 2022 and 2026 men’s World Cups.
Pressure mounts on NFF
The NFF’s decision also comes amid growing scrutiny of the federation’s leadership ahead of its elective congress scheduled for 27 September in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The process has been accompanied by legal disputes linked to the previous election in 2022, while stakeholders have increasingly questioned the performance of the Gusau-led administration.
Madugu’s dismissal also leaves the federation with the immediate task of appointing a new technical leadership for the Super Falcons, with the team expected to begin preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign.
Nigeria’s Olympic qualifying campaign is scheduled to begin in October, when the Falcons are expected to face Comoros.
The NFF will therefore have limited time to settle on a new coaching structure and address the technical and organisational issues identified by the fact-finding committee.
The federation’s latest actions signal a significant reset for the country’s most successful women’s national team, which had entered the 2026 campaign as reigning African champions but will now miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time in its history.
