Madugu Mulls Goalkeeper Change Ahead of South Africa Clash

Following Nigeria's disappointing quarter-final loss to Cameroon, Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu has come to the defense of embattled goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. Despite Nnadozie's error in the match, Madugu insists that her mistakes should not overshadow her overall quality as a goalkeeper. Nnadozie has faced intense criticism for her performance during the WAFCON campaign, with many questioning her positioning and decision-making. The goalkeeper's struggles began in Nigeria's opening group game against Malawi, where her positioning was blamed for all three goals conceded. However, she bounced back with a clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Zambia before conceding twice in the 6-2 victory over Egypt. Her error against Cameroon, where she failed to cover the other side of the goal, led to Myriam Maéva Nyadjou's stunning free-kick finding the net. Madugu, while offering his support to Nnadozie, acknowledged that the technical crew would assess all available options before the Falcons face South Africa on Thursday. 'Chiamaka has been a wonderful goalkeeper, not just for the national team, but also for her club. Anyone can make mistakes at any time. These mistakes can be costly, as it has been for us today, but that's not to say she's a bad goalkeeper,' Madugu said after the game. The coach also revealed that the team has other options, including Nigeria Women's Football League best goalkeeper Fatima Oloko and Portsmouth keeper Comfort Erhabor, who had impressed while being scouted. The Falcons' defeat by Cameroon marked their worst-ever finish at the WAFCON, as they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the competition's history. The result also means the 10-time African champions missed out on one of Africa's four automatic qualification places for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. The Falcons must now beat South Africa in Casablanca on Thursday to advance to FIFA's inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for November and December, where they will have another route to the World Cup.