Opinion: CAF Got It Wrong — Madugu Deserved Women’s Coach Award

An opinion piece argues that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) erred in awarding Lamia Boumehdi the Women’s Coach of the Year title, asserting that Nigeria’s Justin Madugu was the more deserving candidate. CAF recently announced Boumehdi — coach of TP Mazembe as the winner in the category.

While Boumehdi guided Mazembe to a third-place finish at the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League, critics say this achievement does not outweigh Madugu’s success on the international stage.

Madugu led Nigeria’s Super Falcons to victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), a continental title widely regarded as the most prestigious in African women’s football.

WAFCON success particularly guiding a national team to the championship is seen by many observers as a higher benchmark than club-level achievement, raising questions about CAF’s award criteria.

The article also notes that the delay in announcing the award and perceived favouritism toward host nations like Morocco has fueled confusion and controversy around CAF’s decision-making process.

Critics insist the lack of transparency and clear criteria for major awards undermines confidence in the governing body’s honours system.

EDITORIAL

In the pantheon of African women’s football, success is measured not just by victories but by the magnitude of the stage on which they are achieved. That the Super Falcons’ coach, Justin Madugu, guided Nigeria to continental glory — an unbeaten campaign culminating in a record-extending WAFCON title places him squarely within the elite of African coaching. And yet, when CAF’s Women’s Coach of the Year award was unveiled, a decision was made that left many observers perplexed and dismayed.

The optics of this choice matter. Boumehdi’s commendable efforts with TP Mazembe in continental club competition are notable, and successes at the club level should indeed be celebrated. But football’s hierarchy of achievement places an international championship one that galvanises national identity and captivates millions across a continent at a higher echelon. In that context, Madugu’s orchestration of Nigeria’s triumphant WAFCON campaign was not merely tactical excellence it was a galvanising narrative of resilience, unity and strategic mastery.

To overlook such a performance in favour of a club result prompts uncomfortable questions about the values underpinning CAF’s honours. Does the governing body truly recognise the significance of a continental national team triumph? And if so, what then informed their choice? The absence of a clear, publicly understood criteria for awards breeds speculation and dissatisfaction a misstep that undermines the legitimacy of celebrations meant to honour the sport’s finest.

Football’s soul resides in transparency and merit. When accolades align with the magnitude of achievement, they uplift and inspire. Conversely, when they appear incongruent with performance, they erode trust not just in an institution’s decision-making but in the broader narrative of African football itself.

Justin Madugu’s accomplishments with the Super Falcons turning adversity into triumph and tactical innovation into history — deserved recognition at the highest level. To deny that is to devalue not his achievement alone but the very essence of what the beautiful game stands for in collective aspiration and excellence.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Justin Madugu was officially named Coach of the Tournament at WAFCON 2024 after leading the Super Falcons to their tenth continental title.
2. The Super Falcons went unbeaten at WAFCON 2024, conceding just one goal throughout the competition under Madugu’s leadership.
3. Madugu has served the Super Falcons in various coaching capacities, including assistant roles at multiple women’s World Cups before becoming head coach.
4. Justin Madugu’s WAFCON triumph was Nigeria’s first major trophy with him as head coach, marking a pivotal moment in his coaching career.
5. CAF’s Women’s Coach of the Year award in 2025 featured several nominees, including Madugu, Morocco’s Jorge Vilda and the eventual winner Lamia Boumehdi.