Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has defended his tactical decisions following Nigeria’s stunning 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi, insisting the criticism surrounding his team selection and player positioning is a natural consequence of losing.
Speaking during his post-match press conference after one of the biggest upsets in Women’s Africa Cup of Nations history, Madugu accepted responsibility for the result but maintained that the players deployed outside their natural positions were not responsible for Nigeria’s collapse.
The defeat leaves the defending champions under immense pressure ahead of a crucial Group C encounter against Zambia, with questions already being raised over the coach’s tactical approach.
Madugu dismisses criticism over players’ positions
One of the major talking points after the defeat was Madugu’s decision to deploy Michelle Alozie at left-back, with several other players also operating outside their preferred positions.
The tactical setup attracted widespread criticism from supporters and pundits, but the Super Falcons coach insisted those decisions were not the reason Nigeria suffered defeat.
“When things like this happen, everybody has their opinion. Everybody is entitled to say whatever they say,” Madugu said.
“If we had won, the comments people would be making would not be the same.”
The coach pointed to previous tournaments where similar tactical adjustments had yielded positive results.
“When we played the last edition, and we were playing Ashley from the left full-back, Ashley was not a left full-back, but she played there, and everybody appreciated what she did because she did very well.”
Explaining his latest decision, Madugu revealed that defensive challenges within the squad influenced his selection.
“We had…
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