This is indeed a historic moment for Nigerian football and a proud moment too for Super Falcons’ head coach Justine Madugu as he was on Thursday, 7 august, 2025 nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or prize for the best coach in women’s football, reports thegazellenews.com.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, Super Falcons goalkeeper, was also shortlisted for the women’s Yacine trophy.
The France Football Magazine, organisers of the competition, announced the list in a series of posts on their X account on Thursday, 7 August, 2025.
Madugu faces stiff competition for the women’s best coach prize against a formidable lineup of fellow nominees like England’s Sarina Wiegman, Renée Slegers of Arsenal Women, Chelsea Women’s Sonia Bompastor, and Arthur Elias of the Brazilian women’s national team.
In July, Madugu led the Super Falcons to Nigeria’s 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco.
The 61-year-old tactician was also named the best coach of the tournament.
The triumph in Morocco was the first major trophy won by Madugu since he began his coaching career in 1987. He had never coached outside Nigeria until he was named the Falcons’ head coach.
For the women’s best goalkeeper prize, Nnadozie is shortlisted alongside Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton and Daphne van Domselaar.
The 24-year-old was named the best goalkeeper of the WAFCON tourney after keeping clean sheets in four of Nigeria’s six matches.
She has been a consistent performer for the Falcons, winning the CAF women’s goalkeeper of the year twice.
