The Super Falcons’ impressive 15-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday night, as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Canada in a closed-door friendly in Malaga, Spain. Despite the loss, coach Randy Waldrum expressed optimism about the team’s performance, attributing the defeat to a single mistake.
Canada’s Jordyn Huitema scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Nigerian midfielder Deborah Abiodun. The Super Falcons had previously gone 15 games without a loss, with their last defeat coming against Colombia in February 2023.
Waldrum, who led the team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, praised his team’s performance, noting that it was a significant improvement from their previous encounter with Canada, which ended in a goalless draw. “Obviously, you would like to win with results at the end of the day, but I think our performance was a very positive performance. We were very good in the attacking phase, our possession was good,” he said.
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The American coach also expressed confidence in the team’s current condition, despite the defeat. “I thought it was a much better performance than we had in the World Cup against them (Canada). We created more chances against them than we did at the World Cup. I have seen a lot of improvement since the World Cup until now.”
The Super Falcons will face a formidable challenge in Group C at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they will compete against Brazil, Spain, and Japan. Despite the loss, Waldrum remains optimistic about the team’s chances, citing their improvement since the World Cup.
The friendly match also saw the Super Falcons win the after-match penalty shootout 5-4, a prearranged decision by the game organizers. The team’s next challenge will be to regroup and prepare for the Olympics, where they will face some of the world’s top teams.
The Super Falcons’ narrow defeat to Canada may have ended their unbeaten run, but it also highlighted their improvement and potential for success at the Paris 2024 Olympics. With Waldrum at the helm, the team is poised to make a strong impact in the tournament.
