Nigeria Football Federation Dismisses Coach Justine Madugu After World Cup Miss

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that head coach Justine Madugu and his entire technical staff were removed with immediate effect. The decision follows the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup—a first-time miss since the tournament’s inception in 1991. The team’s elimination came after a 2-1 loss to South Africa in the WAFCON playoff, which also ended Nigeria’s streak of reaching every Women’s World Cup.

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In response to the “poor outings” of the national teams, the NFF set up a fact-finding committee tasked with investigating both direct and remote causes of the failure. The committee, chaired by former NFF general secretary Fanny Amun, includes former players Desire Oparanozie and Mutiu Adepoju, coaches’ association president Ladan Bosso, and ex-FIFA referee Alex Mana. Members have two weeks to gather testimony and public submissions before delivering a report.

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Amid the sporting fallout, the NFF faces mounting political scrutiny. Reports indicate that officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) are considering a proposal to halt the scheduled NFF elections in September and replace the current administration with a three-month normalisation committee. The plan, which would require FIFA approval under Article 8.2 of the FIFA Statutes, is being discussed to avoid a potential FIFA suspension for third-party interference. No NSC official has confirmed the proposal publicly, though a senior source affirmed the substance of the reports.

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The NFF has not commented on the NSC’s alleged plan, and FIFA has not yet been approached for a normalisation decision.

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• “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,” — Ibrahim Gusau, NFF president

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• “We see this as a call to a very important national duty," Amun said.” — Fanny Amun, former NFF general secretary

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