Super Falcons Coaching Job: Dennerby Emerges as NFF’s Top Candidate

Posted : 04 September 2026

Thomas Dennerby has emerged as the leading candidate for the vacant Super Falcons coaching position as the Nigeria Football Federation works to appoint a new technical crew. The Swedish tactician is reportedly in discussions with the NFF ahead of Nigeria’s 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign.

The NFF is seeking a new direction after asking Justin Madugu and his technical crew to step down following Nigeria’s disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. The decision was announced on August 17, days after the Falcons lost to South Africa in the WAFCON play-off and failed to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Dennerby is understood to be high on the shortlist because of his previous success with the Nigerian women’s national team. He was appointed in January 2018 and guided the Falcons to the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations title in Ghana later that year.

The Swede also led Nigeria to the knockout stage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. That achievement ended a 20-year wait for the Falcons to reach the Round of 16 at the tournament.

Dennerby left the Super Falcons job in September 2019 following an administrative dispute with the NFF. He later became head coach of the India women’s national team, a position he held until his contract expired in 2023.

Former Super Falcons captain Florence Omagbemi is also reportedly under consideration for the position. Omagbemi led Nigeria to the 2016 African title and remains one of the most successful Nigerian coaches in the history of the women’s national team.

The coaching search follows a difficult year for the Falcons. Nigeria lost 1-0 to eventual champions Cameroon in the WAFCON quarter-finals before suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the World Cup qualification play-off.

The World Cup failure ended Nigeria’s run of appearances at every edition of the women’s tournament since its launch in 1991. Attention has now shifted to the 2028 Olympic qualification campaign, giving the NFF limited time to settle the coaching situation.

Nigeria are expected to face Comoros in October in the next phase of the Olympic qualifiers. Comoros advanced after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate, including a 17-0 first-leg victory and a 13-0 win in the return fixture.

National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade had earlier indicated that changes to the Falcons’ technical structure were being considered because of the importance of Olympic qualification. The NFF will now hope to complete the appointment quickly and give the new coach enough time to prepare for the upcoming qualifiers.

Super Falcons Coaching Job: Dennerby Emerges as NFF’s Top Candidate

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