Football stakeholders have called for a comprehensive and long-term strategy to revive Nigeria’s national teams following the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s decision to dismiss Coach Justin Madugu and his technical crew.
The calls came after the disappointing campaign of the Super Falcons at the recently concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
Nigeria, a record 10-time WAFCON champion, was eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals and subsequently failed to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil after losing a playoff to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
The setback marked a significant departure from the Super Falcons’ long-standing record of World Cup qualification, dating back to their first appearance in 1991.
Following the disappointing results, the NFF announced through its official X account that it had terminated Madugu’s appointment along with that of his technical team.
However, stakeholders say changing the coach alone will not address the deeper problems affecting Nigerian football.
Stakeholder Calls for Major Football Restructuring
Temitayo Bakare, Chief Executive Officer of SGH Sports Academy, told NAN that Nigeria needed to rethink its approach to football development, beginning with sustained investment in infrastructure.
He argued that the country could not expect its national teams to consistently win international trophies without first developing a strong football ecosystem.
“We need to build the infrastructure, strengthen the system, develop the talents and then demand the trophies.”
Bakare proposed a 10- to 20-year national sports infrastructure plan covering the construction and rehabilitation of stadiums and training pitches across the country.
He said existing facilities should also be upgraded to meet CAF and FIFA standards.
According to him, the investment should go beyond stadiums to include football academies, sports-science centres, medical facilities and rehabilitation centres.
He stressed that such a programme should not depend solely on the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC) or NFF.
Instead, he called for government intervention, legislation, sustainable financing, accountability and continuity across successive administrations.
Bakare said the NSC and NFF should then focus on their respective responsibilities, including regulation, football administration, competitions, technical development and talent identification.
Was Sacking Madugu the Right Decision?
Francis Ogheneruru, a sports analyst, questioned whether dismissing the coaching crew was the appropriate response to the Super Falcons’ failure.
He argued that attention should also be directed at the team’s preparation before the tournament.
Ogheneruru questioned when the players were assembled for camp, the quality and number of high-level friendly matches arranged for them, and whether the NFF had adequately fulfilled its own responsibilities.
He said these issues needed to be addressed before responsibility for the disappointing result was placed entirely on the technical crew.
NFF Technical Committee Also Faces Scrutiny
Sports journalist Tope Adejumo urged the NFF to examine the work of its technical committee as part of a wider review of the national team system.
Adejumo said the assessment should cover the entire process, from Madugu’s appointment to the team’s eventual performance at WAFCON.
He questioned whether Madugu had the appropriate experience in women’s football for the role.
According to him, simply dismissing a coach without examining the decisions that led to his appointment could allow the same problems to recur.
He called for an holistic assessment of Nigerian football, rather than another short-term coaching change.
Nigeria Needs More Than Temporary Solutions
The stakeholders’ concerns point to a broader question about the future of Nigerian football: whether the country should continue responding to disappointing results with coaching changes or address the structural weaknesses affecting talent development and national-team preparation.
Nigeria has considerable football talent, but stakeholders argue that talent alone cannot guarantee sustained international success.
They want stronger youth development structures, modern facilities, better preparation, competent technical management and clear accountability across the football administration.
The immediate challenge for the NFF will therefore be finding a successor to Madugu while also addressing the wider issues that contributed to the Super Falcons’ disappointing WAFCON campaign.
The expectation among stakeholders is that the latest setback should become an opportunity for long-term football reform, rather than another cycle of temporary interventions.
