The Super Falcons camp came alive on Tuesday following the arrival of 11 players ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games qualifying fixtures against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
Head coach of the team, Randy Waldrum and his assistants have also arrived camp.
Waldrum recently agreed a contract extension with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The American was last in charge of the Super Falcons at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie, Tochukwu Oluehi and Linda Jiwaku as well as Akudo Ogbonna are among the early arrivals in camp.
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The other players in camp are; Rasheedat Ajibade, Michelle Alozie, Tosin Demehin, Rofiat Imuran, Abiodun Deborah, Ifeoma Onumonu and Gift Monday.
10 more players are still being expected in camp.
Nigeria will travel to Douala for the first leg of the third round qualifying fixture on Friday.
The two countries will clash in the reverse fixture at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja next week Monday.
The Super Falcons have failed to qualify for the last three editions of the Olympics.
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Can Waldrum Whip The Super Falcons Past Cameroon In Olympics Women’s Football Qualifiers?
Back by popular demand, Randy Waldrum has resurfaced to lead Nigeria to February’s Olympics double header qualifiers against Cameroon.
The controversial American tactician disappeared after guiding the Super Falcons to a fascinating second round outcome at the World Cup last summer amidst a messy and highly publicized feud with the NFF; their foul laundries were washed in the public.
In his absence, Stand-in Coach Magudu led the team to successfully navigate Wafcon qualifiers. I actually enjoyed the brand of football under Magudu but this Olympics tasks are beyond his experience and expertise. At some point it seemed the rift between Waldrum and the NFF was irreconcilable.
But, alas he is back!
In a Twitter (X) video floated by the NFF this week, Waldrum expressed his ambition to qualify Nigeria for the Olympics Women football games thereby breaking a 16 hiatus jinx.
“Our goal is to qualify for the Olympics (in Paris this summer),” said Waldrum. “Our opponents Cameroon are very dangerous; they have a lot of talent and they are deadly at counter attacking football. But if we can put together the kind of performances we did at the World Cup, then I truly fancy our chances against Cameroon.” Said Waldrum.
Waldrum went on to say that insufficient time to prepare for these qualifiers means the Super Falcons will have to leverage their World Cup experience to propel them to victory.
The Super Falcons are riding on the waves of positive results going into this encounter having stayed undefeated in open play in 11 matches going back to February last year.
Cameroon, who recently lost to the likes of Kenya and Uganda, will have to be on top of their game to scale this hurdle.
My money is on a Super Falcons win.
Not just because I am a Nigeria fan but because the Super Falcons have exhibited a compelling brand of football in the last 12 months pre and post World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Individually we have the players and collectively the team have recently interacted and congealed into a compelling unit thereby achieving wonderful outcomes.
Cameroon are a powerhouse in African women’s football and not to be taken lightly. But if Waldrum and his girls get all their ducks in a row, then success is fait accompli.
@deo, sorry dude but while the Falcons may arguably have played a “compelling” brand of football at the WC, they certainly played anything but pre-WC – when they lost 6 or 7 in a row (including a trashing by the US).
9jaRealist,
I thought the brand of football played by the Super Falcons immediately pre-world cup against Costa Rica, Haiti and New Zealand were compelling and successful.
I thought that was the catalyst for there fabulous world cup outings.
Cheers.
So FIFA and IOC handed Africa only 2 slots? I thought this was the final round, didn’t know there’s still a 4th round to come vs the winner between South Africa and Tanzania.
Nigeria really needs to switch up the gear. No easy foe here. Good luck SF! You need to finish up what you started in Aus/NZ last year. The world saw the massive potential and is waiting for you.
Only 16 teams play at the Olympics, unlike the 32 teams that play at the WC..
Even at that 9jaRealist, I think creating a backdoor possibility for an additional African country via an intercontinental last stage qualifier might not be a bad idea.
This is a GOOD squad for the Cameroon tie – a relatively well-settled squad under a coach that’s already familiar with the players, and thus unlikely to suffer too much (if at all) by the paucity of training time and sessions for these games.
My only real concern (if you could really call it that) is the lack of quality DEPTH at the GK position. If (heaven forbid) ) something happens to Chiamaka Nnadozie, the drop off in quality will be MASSIVE – as the 37-year-old Oluehi (whom I have watched several times playing in the Saudi female league) is no longer the international-class GK she once was, and the call up of Linda Jiwuaku (reserve GK at Bayelsa and at best 3rd string with the U20 Falconets) is a head-scratcher (just as the recent previous SF call ups of Oyono and Obia, both reserve GKs at their clubs).
9jaRealist, I also watched matches of Oluehi and can confidently say that she still has what it takes to step in at short notice to do a decent job in a qualifier.
In a tournament proper, I have my doubts though.
Linda Jiwuaku is a fabulous goalkeeper with cat like reflexes. Don’t let her Falconets position fool you, this girl is ready for the deep end.