Super Falcons head coach, Justine Madugu says the Nigerian side is fully prepared to break South Africa’s long-standing unbeaten record in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
At 5 p.m. later today, July 22, the Super Falcons will face South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the semi-final stage of the 2024 WAFCON.
South Africa, the reigning champions, are going into the game with a 15-match unbeaten streak in WAFCON competition, a run that began after a painful loss to Nigeria back in 2016.
But Madugu is not intimidated by history. He said, “Yes, South Africa have not lost a game within regulation time since 2016. Like we said, records are meant to be broken. No matter how long it takes, one day it will be broken, and we are hoping that by Tuesday, by the grace of God, that record will no longer exist.”
Despite South Africa’s recent form, Nigeria still holds the bragging rights in their overall WAFCON head-to-head: eight wins out of eleven meetings, with a goal difference of 16-5 in the Falcons’ favour.
However, Banyana Banyana turned the table in the 2022 edition by defeating Nigeria in the group stage and going on to clinch their first continental title.
Madugu, fully aware of how much South Africa has grown under coach Desiree Ellis, is not underestimating the opposition.
“They have a very good team. For them to have won all their games to get them to where they are, obviously, we must appreciate and respect what they have done. So, we are not taking that for granted,” he said.
“You know football games can be very deceiving sometimes. You don’t judge teams based on what you see, particularly in their last game. But the prestige is equally there, so we are not looking at them as underdogs. They will be favourites as defending champions. They took the crown from us, and we want to do the same.”
On the other side of the touchline, South Africa’s coach Desiree Ellis remains unfazed by the forthcoming encounter. For her, the rivalry itself is all the motivation her team needs.
“We know what this match means. We know what it takes to beat Nigeria,” she told CAF Online.
“I don’t think that you need to communicate anything. It’s like a derby where you know who you’re up against. Players know the strength of Nigeria. So I don’t think any motivation is needed. The motivation is obviously the semi-final, but I don’t think it needs motivation because of the rivalry that there is.”
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