Madugu Talks About Criticism Facing Super Falcons

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu knows criticism comes with the job. He says he will keep working on improving the team and not let outside opinions distract him.

Madugu spoke after Nigeria's big win, sharing his thoughts on the pressures around the Super Falcons. He mentioned the heavy scrutiny he and his players have faced during the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The coach understands that he cannot stop criticism. He said fans, journalists, and others have the right to share their views about the team's performances.

"I cannot stop criticisms. I cannot. Like I keep saying, it’s the nature of the job, you cannot please everybody," Madugu told reporters in Morocco.

"And like I say, everybody looks at the game from a different perspective and they have their own interpretations. So even when people criticize, I will not blame them for it; they are entitled to their opinion."

Instead of ignoring criticism, Madugu believes coaches should look at negative feedback and see if there’s anything helpful in it.

"I cannot begin to fire people because we are criticizing. And sometimes, even from the negative criticisms, you look at what people are saying. What can you take out of it? If there are positive things that you feel, you can also look at," he added.

"We’re all human beings; even we as coaches make mistakes. So when you make mistakes and then you realize that, no, I didn’t do this thing well, the onus is on you to own up and then try to get it better the next time."

Madugu called coaching a "thankless job". He pointed out that even players who do not start can be unhappy with his choices.

"It’s a thankless job. You cannot please everybody, even your players. Anybody that does not play is not happy that I am not playing," he said.

The Super Falcons coach highlighted that scrutiny comes from many sources, including employers, friends, the media, and fans.

"You know, your employers are also there watching. My friends, the press, are also watching. The fans are also watching," Madugu said.

"So, I mean, it’s something that we must learn to live with as coaches because that’s the nature of the job. And just take the positives out of it, be focused, and then try to do the best that you can."

Madugu also dismissed the idea that he or his staff would make decisions that could hurt the team's success. He said everyone wins when the Super Falcons succeed.

"We are the principal beneficiaries when a team wins. So why would you jeopardize your joy that you have done well, and you see something that is wrong, and then you want to go ahead to do the wrong things that you know will make you unhappy, that will make everybody unhappy?" he said.

"There’s no reason why anybody would be thinking in that manner. But nobody will look at it from that perspective and they feel, no, no."

"They want to read different meanings into anything you do. Each time you go out for a match, you want to win, and you want to make sure that you present your best."

The coach also asked fans to be patient with players. He said even those who usually play well can have bad days.

"Even players can have bad days. You see a player doing well, you have the hope that, yes, this person will do well. But when she gets onto the field of play, something else happens, and you cannot crucify the player just because maybe she didn’t do well in one game and the rest of it," Madugu explained.

"You have to find out what went wrong and then try to find a solution to it. But we’ll continue to do our best. We’ll continue to do our best and make the team better.