Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum insists his side can cope with the absence of some players in Friday’s clash against the Copper Queens of Zambia, reports Completesports.com.
The nine-time champions will look to secure third position at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations when they take on the Zambians at the Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca.
Waldrum’s side will be without the trio of Onome Ebi, Halimat Ayinde and Rasheedat Ajibade for the game.
Read Also:WAFCON 2022: Super Falcons Train Tonight In Mohammedia Ahead 3rd-Place Clash Vs Zambia
Ebi suffered a hamstring injury in the semi-final defeat to Morocco on Monday and is expected to spend around six weeks on the sidelines.
The duo of Halimat Ayinde and Rasheedat Ajibade will miss the game through suspension.
“We have two players suspended as a result of of red cards in the last game, and we also have some players down with injury,” Waldrum told a press conference.
“So, there will be changes but we will go for the best legs that would give us victory on Friday.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
I am a regular reader of complete sports and I sort to make my own contribution. Thanks!
The coaching crew of the super falcons have let us down and they cannot compensate us with third place finish. Even with the red card to Rashidat and Ayinde. The super falcons could have still gone ahead and win with players like ordega and Gift Monday on the Bench. But instead the clueless coach decided to leave onumunu was never in the game on the pitch until she missed a penalty and defeat Nigeria by Herself. Amaju pinnick your time is up leave now respectfully or else. Your corruption is now filled to brim and pouring on the ground for Nigerians to see. Oga abeg go manage your family. Nigeria football is not your birth right. Thank You!
I agree with you bro. Wining the third place is like nothing to we Nigerians.
I said this during Oga Rohr time with the Super Eagles.
Coach Waldrum made a mistake by putting Onumonu in that match.
For me, Alimatu Ayinde and Ajibade should also be blamed for that defeat. The two ladies did not behave like professionals with that shameful tackles they committed.
Last but not least, if we don’t ask Amaju Pinnick to go, he will destroy our sports. Amaju did not say a single word since after the match against Morocco. I believe if it was Etoo in that situation, it wouldn’t be like this. The match against Nigeria/Morocco and Zambia/South Africa should be replay if Amaju Pinnick and Zambia FA knows the rules of football. It is a shame that both teams have to play their third place match today.
Lastly, I appreciate our female team and their coaching crew but all our national teams deserve better coaching crew.
As I said before the tournament, if coach Waldrum failed to impressed at Wafcon then NFF should replace him. I don’t follow people blindly as I always said.
NFF should invest more locally if they want the best for Nigeria. I love coach Waldrum but I can’t love him more than my beloved country, Nigeria. Best of luck to Super Falcons. God bless Nigeria!!!
You totally spoke my mind.
Waldrum made us lost tht semi final match, Onumonu should have leave by half time.
We need a proactive coach who knows his onions, look at England subtitution against Spain.
Wow……@Omo9ja did I hear you say Waldrum should be removed? I thought you were one of his ardent supporter and praise singer all along?
You are definitely a fair-weather friend and you indeed are one person I know who follow people / coaches blindly. You only follow someone to drive home a lopsided narrative and evil agenda of yours
What Dr Drey would call “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory”. A Morroco that couldn’t defeat us with 2 players down for the better part of 40 minutes, how could they have defeated us in 11v11 scenario in 90 minutes?
That Morroco game actually hurt me far more than the Ghana game in Abuja, honestly! It was a winnable game all day long, even with 9 players, Gift Monday came close to wrapping it up for Nigeria.
Onumonu (the subject of much discussions) plays with her heart on her sleeves. So for effort and commitment, she gets 5 out of 5 for me. But as a starting 11 center forward, no way. The formation and philosophy of Waldrum for this tournament does not even suit Onumonu.
They play route one football (long ball from deep) and also through balls from the attacking and center midfielders. Both approaches require a super pacy striker like Rasheedat Ajibade, Michelle Alozie (check out the video below) or the Asisat Oshoala of some years past (even this present one). Onumonu is way too languid and slow to take full advantage of those balls. It is like asking Nwankwo Kanu or Paul Onuachu to race past defenders and latch on to through balls when you have Ahmed Musa or Olanrewaju Kayode on the bench.
Way too many, I mean way too many long balls (route one) from deep and delicious through balls from Ayinde and co. went to waste in this tournament because of Onumonu’s natural inabilities to profit from such balls. One of those kinds of ball led to Ajibade miraculously overtaking the goalkeeper before being hacked down for a Nigerian penalty in the group stages – nothing would have come from that ball had it been Onumonu.
So very many potential penalties and dangerous fouls from our center forward sprinting to connect with through and long balls were missed in this tournament because Onumonu was saddled with the centre forward responsibility.
Against Morroco, when the North Africans were executing a high press, an Ajibade or a Michelle Alozie would have reached the misplaced backpass from the right back at the same time with the goalkeeper thereby creating grounds for a potential penalty for Nigeria. But, Onumonu was too slow hence the goalkeeper managed to dive low and punch the ball away before Onumonu got closer.
It may seem that I am criticizing Onumonu but I am not. All I am saying is that the through ball, route one and high press strategy of Waldrum in this tournament just doesn’t seem to gel with her skill set.
When we play more formidable teams and play a 3-5-2 formation (as opposed to the current 4-3-3 formation that somewhat isolates Onumonu) then she will shine a lot more. Onumonu will definitely come to her elements as part of a twin strike force.
Also, there is a subtle differences between “link up play” and “hold up play”. I am sorry to say that I don’t think Onumonu excels in “hold up play” (contrary to what many of her fans have been staying). She loses the ball many times and also needlessly leading to promising attacks breaking down too many times as a result. But, her “link up play” is fabulous because she keeps her passes simple, provides pre-assists and also crosses for assists. But to run at the ball, shrug off a number of tackles, “hold up play” and then bring others in, (not always easy to do admittedly) she struggles big time, and the clips are out there to easily prove this.
Also, for the main number 9 in a group comprising debutants Burundi and Botswana, I had expected more than just 1 goal from her.
So, I love Onumonu for her commitment and dedication. But, for the 4-3-3 formation deployed in this tournament which relies on pacy strikers latching on to through balls and long balls from deep (for most parts) and being comfortable being isolated and still holding on to the ball long enough to bring others in, I don’t think this strategy and tactical formations bring out the best in Onumonu.
Michelle Alozie latching on to a through ball
https://youtu.be/RUksgTZDkFI
This was the major mistake the coach made that cost us the trophy, a tactical coach will remove Onumonu and use a pacy striker like Ordega or even Otu and the girl that almost score while we are still 2 players down. Morroco team cannot be class as a good team in Africa, they will be the whipping team in the world cup
@deo my guy, 3 gbosas to you for this pristine write up above. You took all the words out of my month
I have been trying to pass similar analysis to my dear friend Dr Drey but for lack of enough time (due to work) I couldn’t debate it further with him but am sure he’ll read this piece of yours so I expect a response from him soonest