Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has revealed that Nigeria are struggling to arrange friendly matches ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with several African nations refusing to face the reigning continental champions.
Madugu told Brila FM on Friday that the Nigeria Football Federation has reached out to more than five countries in search of warm-up fixtures, but has so far been unable to finalise any agreement.
“The fact is that most teams are not ready to play us. I know a lot of efforts have been made to reach out to different countries,” he said.
The coach added that the reluctance was coming specifically from the opposing coaching staff rather than the federations themselves.
“The federation may agree at first, but when the coaches are consulted, they refuse because they don’t want to face the Super Falcons,” he said.
Nigeria are preparing to defend the title they won in Morocco last year, when they claimed a record 10th WAFCON crown.
The Super Falcons remain the most successful women’s national team in African football, and Madugu’s comments suggest that reputation is now working against them in the build-up to the tournament, which runs from July 25 to August 16 in Morocco.
