Nigeria coach Justine Madugu says his side must beat Zambia in their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) meeting as the Super Falcons look to recover from their disappointing opening result.
Madugu has made clear that Nigeria cannot afford another setback, with qualification for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup among the key objectives for his team.
The Super Falcons began their WAFCON campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Malawi, leaving them needing to respond when they face Zambia in their next fixture.
Madugu says Nigeria are determined to put the problems from that opening match right and remain in contention for a place at the next World Cup.
“It’s win or nothing. We know perfectly well what’s at stake,” Madugu said as quoted by CAF’s official website.
The Nigeria coach acknowledged the importance of the encounter and stressed that his players must learn from the errors that contributed to their defeat by Malawi.
The Super Falcons conceded three goals in that match as Malawi claimed an important victory, while Nigeria were unable to turn their efforts into a winning result.
Madugu insists his side must now correct those shortcomings rather than allow the opening defeat to derail their campaign.
“We want to be at the World Cup, and we will do everything to correct the mistakes of the first match.”
Nigeria’s next opponents, Zambia, enter the contest with confidence after making a strong start to their own tournament.
Zambia defeated Egypt 6-0 in their opening match, giving them a significant boost before their meeting with Nigeria. The result also means the Zambians will go into the game having scored six goals without conceding.
Nigeria, by contrast, are seeking a response after their narrow defeat by Malawi.
The contrasting results have added significance to the meeting, with Madugu making it clear that victory is the only outcome his team is targeting.
The Nigeria coach’s comments underline the pressure on the Super Falcons following their first-match loss. Having suffered a defeat when they would have wanted to start strongly, they must now focus on producing a much-improved performance against Zambia.
Madugu believes the mistakes made against Malawi can be addressed, and his message to the team is centred on ensuring those errors are not repeated.
For Nigeria, the match represents an opportunity to change the direction of their campaign after the setback in their opener. A victory would provide the response Madugu is demanding, while another failure to win would leave the Super Falcons facing further difficulties.
The coach has therefore placed the emphasis firmly on the result, while also reminding his players of the wider prize at stake.
With Nigeria aiming to reach the next FIFA World Cup, Madugu says his team must do everything necessary to recover from the Malawi defeat.
Zambia’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Egypt means they will provide a formidable challenge, but Nigeria’s coach remains focused on what his own side needs to do.
The Super Falcons must now put their opening defeat behind them, correct the mistakes identified by their coach and produce the victory Madugu believes is essential to their ambitions.
For Nigeria, the message ahead of the encounter is straightforward: there is no room for another setback.
“It’s win or nothing. We know perfectly well what’s at stake,” Madugu said.
