After the Super Falcons’ disappointing exit from the women’s football event at the Paris Olympics, coach Randy Waldrum has addressed the reasons behind the team’s early elimination.
The nine-time African champions were knocked out after losing all three of their group stage matches to Brazil, Spain, and Japan.
Waldrum cited poor preparations and injuries to key players as major factors in the team’s struggles. He explained, “We prepared for all our group opponents based on the fact that we haven’t had a lot of time.”
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He added that visa issues had significantly impacted the team’s preparation, delaying the arrival of several invited players to the camp. “Preparation efforts were significantly impacted by visa issues, which delayed the arrival of several invited players to the camp,” Waldrum said.
Injuries to crucial players such as Ashleigh Plumptre and Halimatu Ayinde also disrupted the team’s training schedule. Waldrum noted, “We missed the last window before the Olympics, and so we missed 10 days of good training before the Olympics.”
The combination of these challenges ultimately led to the Super Falcons’ early exit from the competition.