Super Falcons: 2 big decisions Madugu must get right against South Africa

The Super Falcons face South Africa on Thursday in a must win clash as they seek qualification for the 2026 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament, Afrik-Foot reports.

Justin Madugu’s side endured an underwhelming campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) tournament after their campaign was ended by a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon at the quarterfinal stage.

It marked the first time since the inception of the tournament that Nigeria failed to reach the final four, with their poor showing evident from their very first game after they suffered a 3-2 defeat to debutants Malawi.

The Super Falcons were not impressive throughout the tournament, and their performances left a lot to be desired. Their defeat to Cameroon not only ended their title defence but also dashed their hopes of reaching next year’s World Cup through the automatic route.

Nigeria must now navigate the playoff route to stand a chance of qualifying for the World Cup after failing to secure an automatic spot.

Ahead of the crucial clash against South Africa, Madugu faces several decisions on what to change after his team underperformed throughout the tournament.

What decisions must Madugu make vs South Africa?

1. Nnadozie or Erhabor in goal?

One major change Madugu must consider is in the goalkeeping position. Ordinarily, three-time Africa goalkeeper of the year Chiamaka Nnadozie is one of the safest hands on the continent and would normally be an automatic starter for the Super Falcons.

Nigeria face South Africa on Thursday for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup inter-confederation play-offs tournament. 🇳🇬⚔️🇿🇦 #WAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/3OCNBcrRSz

— Soar Africa! (@SSE_NGA) August 9, 2026

However, she has not been her usual self at this tournament, with her performances raising serious concerns.

In the opening defeat to Malawi, Nnadozie was at fault for all three goals. She constantly came too far off her line without being able to make a decisive intervention, and by the time she tried to recover, it was already too late as Malawi punished her mistakes.

Against Egypt, she also looked shaky in goal, and her performance was compounded by the free kick she conceded, which was another situation where she could arguably have done better.

These performances have ended up costing the Super Falcons, and Madugu now faces a big decision over whether to drop Nnadozie for the crucial clash against South Africa.

If she is dropped, Comfort Erhabor could come in for her. Erhabor has shown that she can perform when given the opportunity and could be trusted to take responsibility in such an important game.

2. Best defensive pairing

One of the biggest talking points heading into the WAFCON was how the Super Falcons would cope with the absence of star defender Ashley Plumptre, who missed the tournament due to injury.

In her absence, Michelle Alozie initially played at left-back before she was moved back to the right after failing to impress in the role. Meanwhile, the presence of 34-year-old Osinachi Ohale at centre-back also cost Nigeria dearly against Malawi.

Ohale struggled to cope with the pace of much faster attackers in the game and was targeted several times by the Malawian forwards.

It was then Demehin’s turn against Zambia, and she eventually had to leave the pitch after being sent off in that clash.

Madugu must now decide what his best defensive pairing should be, as there is no room for complacency given the magnitude of the clash against South Africa.

The Super Falcons cannot afford another defensive performance similar to what they produced at the WAFCON, especially against a South African side that will also be fighting for a place at the World Cup.

Madugu must get his defensive selection right and ensure his players are prepared to deal with South Africa’s pace and attacking threat.