Nigeria’s Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu, has explained his decision to leave out Asisat Oshoala from the squad for the double-header friendlies against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
Madugu unveiled his 25-player squad for the friendlies last week.
Oshoala, 31, who has been in outstanding form for Saudi club Al-Hilal, was a surprise omission from the squad.
However, the gaffer maintained that the former Barcelona star remains part of his plans for the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“It’s a friendly match, and it’s important we give others the opportunity to show what they can do,” Madugu said in an exclusive chat with Completesports.com.
“We all want the best for the country. We know what she (Oshoala) can offer, so the two friendlies are an opportunity for us to see others too. It’s a chance for us to see new things.
“Asisat is still part of the team, and there should not be any uproar about her exclusion for the upcoming games.”
The Super Falcons will be aiming to secure a record-extending 11th title when the competition kicks off in Morocco next month.
Madugu’s side are drawn in Group C with debutants Malawi, Zambia, and Egypt.
The gaffer is anticipating a difficult tournament for his team.
“It’s a good one (the draw) because any team that qualifies to play in a tournament like the WAFCON deserves respect, and no team can be underrated considering the fact that everyone is doing what they can to develop their game,” Madugu added.
A lot of investments are coming in now. We can see that the standard of women’s football in Africa has grown. Now, we have players playing abroad, from different countries.
“You can find professionals from different countries in Africa now, unlike in the past when there used to be very few countries in West Africa.
“Now, it is a global thing. On the level of that, and the investment countries are putting into the development of women’s football, you know it is not going to be easy.
“We will be going as the defending champions. We are aware it is not going to be easy, because it used to be 12 teams, but it is now 16 teams. Now, we have to compete to retain the trophy against 15 other countries.
“We are quite aware of the challenges that are ahead of us, and we are getting ready for that. We know that other countries want the trophy too.
“For us, we will be going with the objective of retaining the title. You know, retaining the trophy is always more difficult than when you want to win it for the first time.
“We are aware of all the challenges and are making all our plans, getting ready to make sure our goal is achieved.”
The four semi-finalists in Morocco will qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
“The primary goal is to qualify for the World Cup, which is coming up in Brazil in 2027. That will be our objective from the start. You have to get to the semi-final first, which will qualify us for the World Cup,” Madugu stated.
“That’s why we said that will be our first target. The second objective is getting to the final, because you have to get to the final before you can think of retaining the trophy.”
Credit: Completesports.com
