The Nigeria Football Federation has ordered the entire technical crew of the Super Falcons to step down with immediate effect, following a torrid few weeks that saw the nine-time African champions crash out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and miss out on the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The NFF Executive Committee announced the decision on Monday in a brief statement on its official X account. “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 wrote, without giving a specific reason for the directive.
The axe falls on a technical crew led by head coach Justin Madugu, who had been part of the Super Falcons setup since November 2021, when he and Edwin Okon were appointed as the NFF looked to reorganise the team’s coaching structure. Madugu later rose to head coach as Nigeria prepared for a string of major tournaments.
The Super Falcons arrived at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco as defending champions, having stunned Morocco from two goals down to win the previous final 3-2. But this year’s campaign never found its footing. Nigeria suffered a shock opening defeat to debutants Malawi, steadied themselves with wins over Zambia and Egypt, then crashed out in the quarter-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history after a narrow 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
That exit cost the Falcons automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. A lifeline remained through a playoff against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, but Nigeria fell 2-1, bringing an end to a run of nine consecutive World Cup appearances.
The NFF says the decision is meant to open the door for a rebuild. The federation is yet to name an interim coach or a permanent successor, though sources close to the Glass House say the Technical Committee has already begun evaluating both local and international candidates for the role.
