By Harry Awurumibe
As Nigerians await the appointment of the substantive head coach of the country’s senior women’s football team Super Falcons after the disastrous outing at recently held Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, there is need to remind the appointing authorities-the National Sports Commission (NSC) and its agency the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the time to rebuild the once dreaded team in Africa is now.
This is even as the rebuilding process of the 10-time African champions back to the fearsome Super Falcons that dominated Africa for decades will require the appointment of an experienced technically and tactically-sound head coach with verifiable records of leading a national team to win a trophy or medal either in continental or global competitions like WAFCON, UEFA Women’s Euro, FIFA Women’s World Cup or Olympic Games Women’sFootball Tournament.
Despite the recent set back in Morocco where Nigeria failed to qualify for the last four teams of the WAFCON 2026 and also crashed out of the 2028 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil after a defeat by South Africa in the African Play-off tie which ensured that Nigeria will miss the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time-ever, the Super Falcons still deserve to have an experienced tactician with clear proof of performance in his or past job.
With an intimidating records of ruling Africa in the past 35 years (1991 to 2026) and without losing a single match to an African opponent for 11 years (1991 to 2002), Super Falcons can not afford to be handled by a coach without any pedigree in coaching a top national team in Africa or Europe.
In fact, the dethroned African champions should never again be led by a part-time coach who will not live in Nigeria and will not bother to monitor the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) which has produced all the African women’s football legends including 6-time CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award Winner Asisat Lamina Oshoala and and Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha, a 4-time CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award Winner herself.
Also, 2-time CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award Winner Cynthia Uwak and the 1-time winner, Mercy Akide-Udoh were all products of the NWFL clubs such as Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt; Princess Jegede Babes and FC Robo of Lagos; Omidiran Babes of Osogbo; Ufuoma Babes of Warri and Pelican Stars of Calabar among others.
With Nigeria winning the 1st WAFCON title in 1998, reached the quarter-finals of FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999 in the United States of America (USA) with 100% home-based players and also the former Super Falcons head coach Thomas Dennerby lifting the WAFCON trophy in 2018 in Ghana with eight local players, it can be argued that Nigeria’s Golden Years came when the Super Falcons was populated by NWFL players.
The eight home-based players who Dennerby took to win WAFCON 2018 were goalkeepers: Tochukwu Oluehi (Rivers Angels), Christy Ohiaeriaku (Confluence Queens), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Rivers Angels).
Also in the squad are
defenders: Glory Ogbonna (Ibom Angels) and Sarah Nnodim (Nasarawa Amazons); midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons) and forwards: Anam Imo (Nasarawa Amazons), Rasheedat Ajibade (FC Robo Queens).
Aside from the WAFCON tournament, the Sweden-born tactian also took seven domestic league players to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.
They are three goalkeepers Tochukwu Oluehi (Rivers Angels), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Rivers Angels) and Alaba Jonathan (Bayelsa Queens); defender Chidinma
Okeke (FC Robo) and midfielders Evelyn Nwabuoku (Rivers Angels), Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons) and Alice Ogebe (Rivers Angels).
Interestingly, it can further be argued that the mainstay of the current Super Falcons including the No.1 goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie (ex-Rivers Angels); defender Glory Ogbonna (ex-Ibom Angels); midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade (former FC Robo Queens) and Christy Ucheibe (ex-Nasarawa Amazons), were brought from U-20 Falconets into the Super Falcons setup by Dennerby during his very short successful time in Nigeria.
It will therefore be a disservice to the nation should the NSC and NFF make a costly mistake by hiring a part-time coach again or an unqualified, unlucky and trophyless coach for a highly-rated team like the Super Falcons and for a respected football-crazy country like Nigeria.
Only a tested and successful head coach with a great tactical and managerial acumen, winning mentality and verifiable track record of lifting a WAFCON trophy and FIFA Women’s World Cup medal is good enough for the new Super Falcons of our dream.
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There must not be no room for trial and error and no more hiring of a High School Physical Trainer as head coach of 10-time African champions.
A coach who will be coaching Super Falcons from his or her overseas-base will not only be counter productive for the highly demoralised team that is looking for a fresh start which should be anchored in rebuilding with hungry local players who are aspiring to take their trade to the world by shining with the Super Falcons if given the opportunity.
This is the way to go!
*Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist writes from Abuja
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Chronological List of Super Falcons Head Coaches And Interim Managers (1991-2026)
1-Paul Hamilton (1991–1995)
2- Jo Bonfrère (1991)
(Note:Managed the team at the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup on an interim/concurrent basis).
3-Ismaila Mabo (1999–2001)
4-Samuel Okpodu (2002–2003)
5-Ismaila Mabo (2003-2004)
6-Godwin Izilien (2004)
7-Ntiero Effiom (2006–2007)
8-Joseph Ladipo (Coach Jossy) (2007–2008)
9-Uche Eucharia (2010–2011)
10-Kadiri Ikhana (2012)
11-Edwin Okon (2013–2015)
12-Christopher Danjuma (2015 interim)
13-Florence Omagbemi (2016)
14-Thomas Dennerby (2018–2019)
15- Christopher Danjuma (2019 interim)
16-Randy Waldrum (2020–2024)
17-Justin Madugu (2024–2026)
18-? ? ?
