Nigeria’s female national team. Super Falcons’ coach, Justin Madugu, came under a barrage of written attacks from football analysts late Thursday, following his side’s 2-1 loss to South Africa in Casablanca, Morocco, Sports247 reports.
It was a last-ditch play-off encounter, which offered the Falcons an unprecedented second chance to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup but, as their male compatriots did late last year in the same country, Madugu’s squad fell like a pack of cards when it mattered most.
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So soon after failing to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for the first time, the Falcons will also be absent at the World Cup, where they had been ever present since attending the inaugural edition at China 1991.
Sadly, the ugly side of history was written on Thursday night, and Madugu watched lamely, as Banyana Babyana’s 2-1 win ended the Falcons’ last hope of reaching Brazil 2027 through the playoffs.
Thembi Kgatlana opened the scoring in the 56th minute before Refiloe Jane doubled South Africa’s advantage in the 77th but was later sent off in stoppage time, with Christy Ucheibe converting the resulting penalty in the 93rd minute.
However, Nigeria’s late response was not enough and, after losing to Cameroon in the quarterfinals, the Falcons failed to seize the last hope towards qualifying for the 2027 Mundial.
Sports247 reports that, no sooner had the Cameroonian referee sounded the final whistle around 11pm on Thursday than analysts, fans, coaches and ex-players took to various social media channels and platforms to slam the Falcons’ poor show.
The biggest source of scorn and umbrage for the Falcons’ poor show came via WhatsApp groups and most of the flak was directed at Madugu, who was ridiculed for what many referred to as his ‘clueless tactics.’
