By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Following the dismal performance of Nigeria’s senior women’s football team, Super Falcons, at the 12th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has directed its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to hold a meeting and make recommendations on how to reposition the team before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup billed for Australia and New Zealand.
This directive was contained in the Communique of the NFF Executive Committee Annual General Assembly (AGA) held in Lagos on Thursday, August 18, 2022.
This is in view of a damming report submitted to the Executive Committee by the Super Falcons Leader of Delegation to Morocco 2022, Ms Aisha Falode which indicted the technical crew of the team for Nigeria’s abysmal outing in the competition.
According to the Communique, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee will among others point to “the way forward for the Super Falcons, including but not limited to a thorough evaluation of the capability of the coaching crew to lead the team to a creditable performance at the FIFA World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next year”.
The Executive Committee’s decision to
evaluate the capability of the Super Falcons coaching crew led by United States-born Randy Waldrum, to lead the team to a creditable performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand may not be unconnected with the defeaning calls by Nigerian fans who believe that the current Head Coach of University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA cannot take the Super Falcons to a greater height following the lacklustre performance of the team in Morocco.
Waldrum’s team lost three matches out of six played in WAFCON in Morocco as Nigeria lost 2-1 to South Africa in the opening group C match; fell 5-4 (penalties) to Morocco in the semi final stage and was defeated 1-0 in the 3rd place match by Zambia to return home empty handed for the second time since 1998 edition.
Recall that Prompt News has in a post-mortem of Nigeria’s participation in WAFCON Morocco 2022, stated unequivocally that Waldrum does not have what it takes to win big games as ranks lower than former Super Falcons Head Coach Thomas Dennerby who took Nigeria to win WAFCON trophy in 2018 in Ghana and piloted the team to the Round of 16 in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in France.
