WAFCON 2024: Meet the four tacticians driving their teams to glory
As the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) reaches its climactic final stages, the spotlight is firmly on the four coaches whose tactical acumen and leadership have powered Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco into the semi-finals.
Tuesday’s blockbuster semi-final clashes will see two seasoned tacticians face off—Nigeria’s Justin Madugu against South Africa’s Desiree Ellis—while Morocco’s Jorge Vilda and Ghana’s Kim Björkegren, both first-timers on this stage, go head-to-head in a fascinating battle of the debutants.
While players will ultimately decide the outcome on the pitch, it is the men and women on the touchline pulling the strings whose strategies could prove decisive in the race for the coveted continental crown.
Justin Madugu (Nigeria’s silent General)
No stranger to WAFCON, Justin Madugu boasts the richest experience among the quartet. After years of quietly serving in assistant and interim roles across Nigeria’s women’s national teams, the 60-year-old was handed the top job following the exit of American Randy Waldrum earlier this year.
Despite a slow start in Morocco—beating Tunisia 3-0, narrowly edging Botswana 1-0 and drawing goalless with Algeria—Madugu’s Falcons roared to life in the quarter-finals with a stunning 5-0 demolition of Zambia. The bold call to bench star forward Asisat Oshoala paid off handsomely, underlining Madugu’s fearless and calculated approach.
As Nigeria gear up to battle defending champions South Africa in Casablanca, Madugu is aiming to avenge the 2-1 group stage loss in 2022, a result that still lingers in the memory.
“We’ve got a plan for South Africa. We know what it takes to win,” he hinted confidently.
Desiree Ellis (Icon with a point to prove)
A trailblazer on and off the pitch, Desiree Ellis is already a legend in South African football. As a former captain turned tactician, Ellis has taken Banyana Banyana from nearly-there contenders to WAFCON champions, securing their first title in 2022 and a historic World Cup berth in 2023.
Known for her results-first mentality, Ellis doesn’t rely on flair but on discipline and execution. Her side eased through the group stage—beating Ghana (2-0), drawing with Tanzania, and thumping Mali (3-0)—before dispatching Senegal 3-1 in the quarters.
Now, as she seeks to achieve what she couldn’t as a player—back-to-back continental triumphs—Ellis is staying cool under pressure.
“We know what it takes to beat Nigeria. We’ve done it before and we can do it again,” she declared at the pre-match press conference.
Jorge Vilda (Morocco’s high-profile gamble)
From World Cup winner to WAFCON hopeful, Spain’s Jorge Vilda brings star power and global experience to the Atlas Lionesses. Appointed in 2023 following his controversial exit from Spain’s triumphant World Cup team, Vilda arrived in Morocco with a mandate to elevate the women’s game.
Succeeding Reynald Pedros—who guided Morocco to the WAFCON final and Women's World Cup knockout stages—Vilda has sought continuity, refining a squad already buzzing with belief. Though his team has not quite matched their dazzling 2022 form, they’ve been solid, adaptable and tactically flexible, booking a semi-final berth with Ghizlane Chebbak topping the scorers’ chart.
Vilda’s European polish meets Ghanaian grit in Rabat, where he hopes to repeat the 1-0 friendly victory over the Black Queens from earlier this year.
Kim Lars Björkegren (Ghana’s work-in-progress architect)
Thrown into the deep end just months before the tournament, Swedish coach Kim Lars Björkegren has had a crash course in African football. With barely enough time to assemble his squad and limited knowledge of the terrain, expectations were modest—until now.
After a rocky start—losing 0-2 to South Africa and drawing 1-1 with Mali—the Black Queens rallied with a thumping 4-1 win over Tanzania. The momentum carried into the quarter-finals, where Ghana stunned hosts Morocco with a tactically astute performance.
Bjorkegren has quietly unearthed new gems, including Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, and instilled belief in a team still finding its rhythm.
“This is a project. We’re learning, growing, and enjoying the journey. If we make the final, it’s a bonus,” he said with modest optimism.
The Stakes: Indigenous Pride vs Tactical Imports
With the semi-final draw pitting experienced coaches against first-timers, and indigenous tacticians against foreign imports, WAFCON 2024 promises an intriguing subplot. Only once—in 2018 under Sweden’s Thomas Dennerby—has a foreign coach won the title. History favours local brains, but the winds of change may be blowing.
Will Ellis or Madugu cement their legacy, or will Vilda and Björkegren break new ground? Tuesday’s outcomes will shape not only the final but possibly the future of coaching dynamics in African women’s football.
The countdown is on—and so is the chess match on the touchline.
