Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum has attributed Nigeria’s disappointing exit from the women’s football event at the Paris 2024 Olympics to inadequate preparation.
The Super Falcons failed to progress past the group stage after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Japan, following earlier narrow 1-0 losses to Brazil and Spain.
In the match against Japan, the Super Falcons quickly fell behind, conceding two goals within the first 10 minutes. Despite a goal from Jennifer Echegini towards the end of the first half, Japan extended their lead just before halftime. With their hopes resting on a two-goal margin, the Super Falcons were unable to mount the necessary performance against the former world champions.
Coach Randy Waldrum highlighted the impact of limited preparation time, explaining that the team missed out on crucial training days before the Olympics due to visa issues and other logistical challenges. The team’s 10-day camp in Seville, Spain, was also disrupted by delayed arrivals of some invited players.
“We prepared for them (all three opponents) based on the fact that we haven’t had a lot of time,” Waldrum said, according to ESPN. “We missed the last window before the Olympics, and so we missed 10 days of good training before the Olympics.”
Following their commendable performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they were eliminated in the round of 16, expectations were high for Waldrum’s team in Paris. However, their campaign ended similarly to the Super Falcons’ participation in the 2008 Olympics, facing tough opposition and suffering comparable defeats.
The Super Falcons’ best showing in the Women’s Olympic football tournament remains their sixth-place finish in Athens 20 years ago, where they reached the quarterfinals.