Emmanuel Ndubuisi Odidika, Head Coach of Napoli Sports Club, Northcliff, Johannesburg, South Africa, has urged Nigeria’s Super Falcons to respond positively following their surprise 3-2 defeat to Malawi in the opening match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), insisting the Malawians were worthy winners based on their overall performance.
Sports247 reports that reacting to the encounter, Odidika praised Malawi for their tactical discipline, physical intensity, and relentless pressing, qualities he believes overwhelmed the nine-time African champions for most of the contest.
“Malawi deserved their victory based on the performance they displayed against the Super Falcons,” Odidika said. “They were very physical, played with high energy, and moved the ball quickly, especially with long passes behind Nigeria’s defence.”
The South Africa-based coach observed that Malawi dominated key moments in midfield, won more second balls, and consistently applied pressure whenever Nigeria had possession. According to him, the Southern Africans executed an effective game plan that prevented the Super Falcons from establishing any meaningful rhythm.
“When they were without the ball, they quickly closed down the nearest player. They ran more than Nigeria, controlled most of the midfield, and were dangerous on the counterattack. The Super Falcons struggled to string together good passes and combinations, particularly in midfield and attack, leaving the defence under constant pressure.”
Odidika also addressed the criticism directed at Nigeria’s goalkeeper, arguing that the defensive unit should bear greater responsibility for the first two goals conceded.
“For the opening two goals, the defence failed to deal with long balls after attempting to play the offside trap. The goalkeeper only came out after the backline had already been beaten,” he explained.
He, however, admitted the goalkeeper could have made a better decision for Malawi’s third goal by rushing out too early, allowing the attacker to finish calmly.
Despite the disappointing start, Odidika remains optimistic that the Super Falcons can recover, provided the coaching crew and players quickly address the shortcomings exposed by Malawi.
“This defeat has shown other teams that Nigeria can be vulnerable if the right tactics are applied. The team must improve in every department and show greater urgency in the next match. I hope they bounce back against Zambia,” he concluded.
Nigeria will now look to revive their WAFCON campaign in their next group fixture, where a positive result will be crucial to their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.
