The Nigeria Football Federation has directed members of the Super Falcons’ technical crew to step down from their positions with immediate effect.
The directive comes after a disappointing 2026 campaign that saw Nigeria fail to secure automatic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The NFF Executive Committee announced the decision in a brief statement on Monday but did not provide a reason for the move.
“The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the @NGSuper_Falcons to step down with immediate effect,” the federation said.
The decision follows a difficult Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign for the Super Falcons. Nigeria opened their Group C campaign with a shock defeat to debutants Malawi, who went on to reach the final before losing to Cameroon, who claimed their first WAFCON title on Sunday.
Nigeria’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals following a defeat to Cameroon, ruling them out of automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons later had another chance to secure a World Cup spot through a playoff against South Africa but suffered another defeat, leaving Nigeria to pursue an alternative qualification route.
The technical crew is headed by Head Coach Justin Madugu, alongside key assistants and other backroom staff.
In November 2021, the NFF appointed Madugu and Edwin Okon to the Super Falcons’ technical crew as part of efforts to restructure the team’s coaching setup.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s men’s team, the Super Eagles, also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Super Eagles missed automatic qualification after finishing second in their group before losing to DR Congo 4–3 on penalties in the African playoff final, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist with Punch Newspapers with more than eight years of experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for incisive interviews and compelling human-interest stories covering politics, health, advocacy, sports and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred journalism.
