Justine Madugu, head coach of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, has been nominated for the 2025 Ballon d’Or prize for the best coach in women’s football.
The announcement was made by France Football Magazine, organisers of the prestigious awards, through posts on their official X account on Thursday.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, Super Falcons goalkeeper, was also shortlisted for the women’s Yacine Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the world.
Madugu is nominated alongside top figures in women’s football, including Sarina Wiegman of England, Renée Slegers of Arsenal Women, Sonia Bompastor of Chelsea Women, and Arthur Elias, head coach of Brazil’s women’s national team.
The nomination comes after a landmark year for Madugu, who guided Nigeria to its 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco this July. His leadership throughout the tournament earned him the best coach award. The WAFCON victory marked the first major international trophy in Madugu’s nearly four-decade-long coaching career, which began in 1987 and remained based in Nigeria until his appointment as the Falcons’ head coach.
In the goalkeeping category, 24-year-old Chiamaka Nnadozie joins an elite shortlist that includes Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, and Daphne van Domselaar. Nnadozie was named the best goalkeeper at the 2025 WAFCON, after keeping four clean sheets in six matches. Her consistent excellence has also earned her the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year title twice.
