Nigeria’s women’s national team coach, Justin Madugu, says he knows some of the Copper Queens’ players and that he will analyze their strengths and weaknesses to ensure victory in Friday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinal.
The Super Falcons topped Group B with seven points after a goalless draw against Algeria on Sunday night, following earlier wins over Tunisia (3-0) and Botswana (1-0).
Despite their unbeaten run, the nine-time champions have only managed one goal in their last two WAFCON matches—something Madugu admits is a concern.
“Prior to this tournament, we’ve been playing matches, and a lot of them [players] have been scoring goals. In this tournament, scoring has become a challenge for us,” he admitted. “We have to really go back and do a lot. We have little time to be able to work on that, but it’s an area that is becoming a cause of concern and worry for us. The same players who were scoring goals before now are the same players that are still playing so why they are not getting goals is something that we have to look at and then work on.”
His side now faces a ruthless Copper Queens outfit that has already scored six goals in the tournament, led by reigning African Women’s Player of the Year Barbra Banda and the world’s second most expensive female player, Racheal Kundananji. However, Madugu remains unfazed.
“We know that we’re playing Zambia. We are aware of that. Like I said at the press conference, the pre-match press conference, from when the schedules were out, you have to anticipate who and who you will come up against, and then what are the likely plans you equally have for them. We have watched some of their games,” he said.
Madugu continued: “We know some of their players. We’ll see. Go back and continue our analysis of the team, their strengths, and their weaknesses, just as we know they will equally be doing. So it’s not, anything of concern for us because, like I said, for you to win the tournament, you must win all your matches. And so that is what we are going into. There is no room for errors.”
The last WAFCON meeting between Zambia and Nigeria was at the 2022 edition, where the Copper Queens claimed a 1-0 victory in the bronze medal playoff—despite missing star players Banda and Kundananji.
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