Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu, has assured fans that his team will continue to improve following their emphatic 5-0 triumph over Zambia in the quarter-final of the ongoing 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The dominant performance against the Copper Queens on Friday marked Nigeria’s most impressive display in the tournament so far, especially after a rather underwhelming group stage showing.
Speaking to journalists after the match, Madugu highlighted how Zambia’s tactical approach allowed his side to flourish.
“In the previous games, our opponents sat back and played with a low block, which made it difficult to express ourselves the way fans expected. Zambia came out, and that gave us space to play,” Madugu told reporters.
The Falcons’ head coach emphasized the gradual improvement in the team’s overall play, attributing the latest result to consistent efforts in training.
“We said it before, it’s a work in progress. We kept identifying our weaknesses, service delivery, final passes, and finishing and we worked on them. Today, we saw the results.”
Reflecting on the earlier rounds, Madugu defended the players’ efforts, noting that while the chances were there, the finishing had been lacking.
“The girls did their best in the group stage too. They created chances, but converting those chances was the issue. Today, they took them well. That’s the difference.”
The Super Falcons now advance to the semi-finals, where they will meet either defending champions Banyana Banyana of South Africa or Senegal on Tuesday.
