Nigeria’s Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has declared Saturday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations clash against Zambia a “must-win” encounter, insisting the 10-time WAFCON champions have put the disappointment of their opening defeat to Malawi behind them and are fully focused on rescuing their title defence.
The defending champions were rocked by a stunning 3-2 loss to tournament debutants Malawi in their Group C opener, a result that not only ended Nigeria’s unbeaten record against WAFCON debutants but also left the Super Falcons with little room for error heading into their second group match.
With Zambia arriving on the back of an emphatic 6 nil massacre of Egypt, Madugu admitted his side are aware of the scale of the challenge, but stressed that the mood within the Nigerian camp has improved considerably.
“The feeling is good, everyone is looking very bright. We have put behind us the disappointment of the last game. We are looking forward to the game against Zambia,” Madugu said at the pre-match press briefing.
“We are aware that Zambia’s confidence will be boosted by their victory over Egypt. We will also not want to approach the game in a manner that suggests we cannot be beaten.
