Nigeria’s next Super Falcons coach: 2 top managers who could replace Justine Madugu

Nigeria’s Super Falcons are facing a major decision after a disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign left their route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil dependent on a tricky playoff, Afrik-Foot reports.

Justine Madugu guided Nigeria to a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in 2025, but the team’s performances in Morocco in 2026 have raised fresh questions about his tactical approach, squad selection and ability to take the team to the next level.

FIFA’s qualifying format means the losing quarter-finalists must play an additional match, with the winners earning a place in the 2027 World Cup play-off tournament.

Madugu: a coach with a trophy, but serious questions

Madugu’s case cannot be judged only by the latest WAFCON disappointment.

In July 2025, he produced one of the finest results of his coaching career when the Super Falcons came from 2-0 down to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the WAFCON final in Rabat. Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi and Jennifer Echegini scored as Nigeria overturned the deficit and won a record 10th continental title. CAF subsequently named Madugu Coach of the Tournament.

That success was built on defensive discipline and experience. The Super Falcons went through that tournament unbeaten and conceded only once before the final. Madugu also had deep knowledge of the squad after years as an assistant and technical staff member, giving him an advantage in managing players he already knew well.

His problem is what happened next. At WAFCON 2026, the Super Falcons suffered a shock 3-2 defeat by Malawi in their opening Group C match. They recovered with wins over Zambia and Egypt, but the team showed major defensive frailties. The Falcons eventually lost their quarter-final against Cameroon, forcing them into the World Cup qualifying playoff route rather than automatic qualification.

The criticism is not simply about results. Madugu has struggled to create a clear attacking structure when the Super Falcons face organised opponents. Questions have also been raised about player positioning, midfield control and substitutions. Those concerns are particularly important because Nigeria have elite individual players, including Rasheedat Ajibade, Jennifer Echegini, Deborah Abiodun, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Michelle Alozie.

Madugu has also acknowledged that the team needed improvement before the tournament. His earlier WAFCON success gives him considerable credit, but the Super Falcons now need more than a coach who can produce a strong tournament run. They need a system capable of controlling matches.

Should the Nigeria Football Federation consider replacing Madugu, two Spanish coaches with elite tactical acumen and reasonable salary demands to consider are Iraia Iturregi and Irene Ferreras. The pair offer very different experiences, but both could bring tactical ideas that the Super Falcons have lacked during difficult moments under Madugu.

Iturregi: Spanish structure and a high-level football education

Iturregi is the more ambitious of the two choices. The 41-year-old is currently an assistant to Sonia Bermúdez with Spain’s senior women’s team. The Royal Spanish Football Federation appointed her to that role in August 2025. Her coaching education also includes a UEFA Pro licence.

Her club record gives Nigeria an important clue about what she could bring. Iturregi spent three seasons as Athletic Club Women’s head coach from January 2021 until June 2023. She took charge of 87 first-division matches. Athletic finished seventh and 10th during two of those seasons, while she also gave opportunities to younger players from the club’s academy.

Her strongest achievement came before that senior job. She guided Athletic Club B to the Segunda División title in 2019-20 and later became part of the CD Basconia staff that won promotion to Segunda Federación in 2024-25. The RFEF also gave her the Ramón Cobo award for the best coach in Spain’s top women’s division for the 2022-23 season.

That background fits the Super Falcons’ needs. Iturregi could introduce more positional discipline, cleaner ball progression and better attacking transitions. The Super Falcons have technically gifted players who can benefit from a system that gives them clearer positions when Nigeria have possession.

Her weakness is experience at senior international level as the main coach. She has been an assistant with Spain rather than the person making the final decisions. She has also never coached a team with the unique pressure surrounding the Super Falcons, where winning the WAFCON is often treated as the minimum expectation.

Another obstacle is availability. She is currently part of Spain’s senior technical staff, so convincing her to leave would be difficult. Still, it would be difficult for her to reject the chance to coach the most successful national team on the African continent.

Ferreras: the practical option with recent club proof

Ferreras offers a different argument. The 37-year-old has worked across several levels of Spain’s women’s game, including Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña. Granada appointed her for the 2025-26 season after she had helped Deportivo reach Liga F.

Her first season at Granada was arguably her strongest work in senior club football. Granada finished sixth in Liga F with 45 points, collecting 13 wins, six draws and 10 defeats. That equalled the club’s highest points total in the Spanish top flight.

The style was also interesting. Ferreras used a back five, attacked vertically and made tactical changes during matches. Granada’s improvement in 2026 included a four-match winning run, the best winning sequence in the club’s history in the Spanish top flight.

That could translate well to Nigeria. The Falcons already possess defenders capable of playing in a three or five-player structure, while players such as Ajibade, Echegini and Toni Payne can provide speed and creativity during transitions. Ferreras could therefore build a more flexible team without completely changing Nigeria’s strengths.

Her weakness is that one successful Liga F season does not automatically prove she can manage an African powerhouse. She has never coached a senior national team and has no WAFCON or World Cup experience.

There is also an unusual issue around her availability. Granada confirmed in July that Ferreras left the club by mutual agreement for personal reasons, only weeks before the new Liga F season. That makes her easier to approach than Iturregi, but Nigeria would need to establish whether she is ready for another demanding job so soon.

The World Cup playoff changes the calculation

Nigeria cannot afford a long rebuilding project. The 2027 World Cup will take place in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July, while CAF has two additional places available through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. The four WAFCON semi-finalists qualify directly, while the four losing quarter-finalists enter playoff matches to decide Africa’s representatives at the global playoff tournament.

Nigeria’s next match is therefore crucial. The quarter-final losers play their World Cup pathway matches on 13 August in Casablanca. A win against South Africa would take Nigeria one step closer to Brazil.

By the time the intercontinental playoffs begin later in the year, one of these two coaches would have restructured the Super Falcons into a solid, rounded team. That timing makes Ferreras the more realistic immediate appointment, while Iturregi is the more ambitious long-term choice.

The NFF therefore has two different routes. It can choose Iturregi and bet on a coach with elite international education, or choose Ferreras and prioritise recent senior club results.

Neither appointment guarantees qualification. Both, however, would represent a clear attempt to give the Falcons a defined tactical identity rather than relying mainly on individual quality.