Super Falcons Head Coach Randy Waldrum has assured that his team will strive to be more efficient and clinical in converting their chances after the narrow 1-0 victory over Cameroon in Abuja.
Nigeria advanced to the final round of the African qualifying series for this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament with a 1-0 aggregate win, courtesy of Esther Okoronkwo’s 15th-minute goal.
Waldrum praised the players for their performance, particularly highlighting Deborah Abiodun’s fantastic display in midfield. He noted that the team played more directly than usual due to the tactics employed by the opponents.
While expressing confidence in the team, Waldrum lamented the harsh weather conditions, stating a preference for playing under lights, especially since most of his players are based in Europe.
“I am very excited for the players and the country as well. I felt it was a great effort today. We picked up some injuries and had to make some changes. The players that came in did a great job. That’s what you want. You want players to come off the bench and give you something.
“I felt Deborah was fantastic in midfield, winning balls and matching the physicality of the team. Our chances we created were good. When we lost patience, we played a little bit more directly, which is not the way we want to play.
“The weather here is challenging. The players here in Nigeria are used to it. Most of them are playing in Europe. They haven’t played on this field in a while. I would always prefer a night game. My preference is always under the lights.
“We have confidence in every player. We have players that didn’t play any minutes. They are fully capable of helping us. In both matches, we had many opportunities to finish it off and not make it difficult at the end. I think that’s where we have to improve. We had two breakaways, we scored two goals. We have to be more efficient and clinical around the goal. I will be more concerned if we aren’t creating more chances.”
The final round fixture between nine-time African champions Nigeria and reigning African champions South Africa is scheduled for April.
