Falcons need proper preparation for Paris Olympics, Waldrum tells NFF

Randy Waldrum, Super Falcons head coach, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the sports ministry to help the team “prepare properly and camp in Europe” for the 2024 Olympics.

On Tuesday, the Falcons defeated South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.

Speaking to the press after the match, Waldrum praised the Falcons’ performance against the Bayana Bayana.

He then urged the NFF that the team would need “proper training and transportation” to prepare for the Olympics, adding that the players “deserve the opportunity to represent our country, Nigeria, in the best possible way.”.

“My plea and challenge is to the minister of sport, NFF, to help us prepare properly and camp in Europe,” Waldrum said.

“We need proper training and transportation. We need to do things right because these women deserve the opportunity to represent our country, Nigeria, in the best possible way. At the Olympics, every team is a top team, and when you look at our group, it is the group of death.”

Last year, Waldrum bemoaned the Super Falcons’s preparation for the Women’s World Cup. The American blamed the NFF for not supporting the team, and his outburst led to a war of words between him and the federation.

The Falcons will be playing at the Olympics for the fourth time. They qualified for the competition in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Nigeria will slot into Group C of the women’s football event at Paris 2024 alongside Spain, Japan and Brazil.

The Olympics is billed to take place in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11.