The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has directed the technical crew of the Super Falcons, led by head coach Justine Madugu, to step down from their positions with immediate effect following the team’s disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign and failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The decision was announced by the NFF Executive Committee on Monday, August 17, 2026, days after Nigeria’s hopes of defending their continental title and securing a World Cup ticket were brought to an end.

The federation did not give a detailed reason for the decision in its announcement.

The Super Falcons were eliminated from the WAFCON at the quarter-final stage after suffering a 1–0 defeat to Cameroon.

The result prevented Nigeria from progressing further in the competition and left the team needing a positive result in the subsequent qualification play-off to keep its World Cup hopes alive.

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2027 Women’s World Cup were eventually ended after a 2–1 defeat to South Africa in the play-off, meaning the Super Falcons will miss the global tournament for the first time since the competition began in 1991.

Madugu had previously apologised to Nigerians following the team’s disappointing performance and accepted responsibility for the outcome.

The coach had also identified qualifying for the 2027 World Cup as one of the major objectives of the team heading into the WAFCON.

The NFF’s decision now brings an end to Madugu’s spell in charge of the Super Falcons, while the federation is expected to begin the process of appointing a new technical team to guide the women’s national team into its next phase.

The Super Falcons remain one of Africa’s most successful women’s football teams, but the latest setbacks have placed renewed pressure on the NFF to rebuild the team and restore Nigeria’s dominance on the continent.