Super Falcons head coach Justine Madugu has defended goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie following Nigeria’s shock 3-2 defeat to Malawi in their opening match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Nigeria suffered a disappointing start to their title defence in Rabat as tournament debutants Malawi claimed a historic victory, with Nnadozie’s costly errors contributing to the Scorchers’ memorable win.
Madugu backs under-fire goalkeeper
The defeat sparked criticism from Nigerian supporters, with some calling for second-choice goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor to replace Nnadozie ahead of the Super Falcons’ next Group C fixture against Zambia.
However, Madugu refused to single out the 25-year-old, insisting the defeat was a collective failure rather than the fault of one player.
Chiamaka has been, I mean, a very good player. Everybody knows her exploits, both in the national team and at her club side. And like I said, you can always have good days and you can always have bad days. Today we will consider it to be one of the bad days, not only for Chiamaka, but for all of us collectively as a team.”
The coach also expressed confidence that the goalkeeper would recover from the disappointing performance.
“She has been very outstanding. She has been very outstanding in all the games we have always played
”
That it happened the way it happened today is one of those things. It is normal; things like this do happen in football, and we know she will also get over it.
“It’s not an individual thing; it’s a collective thing. We all take responsibility for that and not blame one player for it.”
Focus shifts to Zambia clash
Nnadozie has established herself as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper since 2019 and has been one of the team’s most consistent performers for both club and country.
Despite her difficult outing against Malawi, Madugu’s comments suggest the Brighton goalkeeper is likely to retain his confidence ahead of Nigeria’s crucial clash against Zambia on August 1.
