Super Falcons head coach, Justin Madugu, has admitted that his team’s performance fell short of expectations after Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Benin Republic in the second leg of their 2026 WAFCON qualifying tie in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
Despite the disappointing result, the draw was enough to send Nigeria through to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they will defend the title won in Morocco last year and also aim to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Read Also: WAFCON 2026 Qualifiers: “We’ve Learnt Valuable Lessons” — Falcons Captain Rasheedat Ajibade Reacts as Benin Hold Nigeria in Abeokuta
The Falcons entered the match with high confidence after defeating Benin 2-0 away from home in the first leg. However, they struggled to replicate that form in front of their home fans, allowing the visitors to secure a surprise draw.
Speaking after the game, Madugu expressed his disappointment but took responsibility for the team’s underwhelming outing.
“Good evening everybody. For me, it didn’t come much as a surprise because we knew it was going to be a tough game. The Beninese team are organized and we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Madugu said.
“However, I want to use this opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for not meeting their expectations. Each time the Super Falcons play, there are always high expectations in terms of results and performance. Sometimes there can be off days, and I think today was one of those.”
The coach praised his players for their effort but acknowledged that more work needs to be done ahead of future competitions.
“The girls did their best, but from the result and performance, it wasn’t what we really expected. We’ll take this as a wake-up call and continue to build from here,” he concluded.
Meanwhile their Beninoise counterparts celebrated their 1-1 and their performance as the players were in jubilant mood despite their non qualification for the WAFCON.
Their coach during the press also admitted he is proud of the the Amazons performance and the team will build on it going forward.
