SUPER Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has laid out his long-term plans after leading the African champions to qualify for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The nine-time continental champions defeated Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on the way to qualifying for the WAFCON in Morocco, and Wadrum says he is aiming for world dominance eventually.
The 65-year old American, who was appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation in October 2020 with the mandate to stretch the Falcons’ success beyond Africa, believes the current squad has the spirit, depth and capacity to compete with the likes of Team USA, Germany, Japan, Norway and Brazil.
The Falcons have resched every single edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991, but have advanced beyond the group stage only twice – in the USA in 1999 and in France 20 years later.
“Our initial mandate as given by the NFF was to qualify the team for the Women AFCON in Morocco. That, we have achieved,” Waldrum told the NFF’s website.
“However, in the preparation and process, we also had in mind the imperative of building a squad with the strength, stamina and technical balance to give the world’s best teams a good run for their money, anyday and anywhere.
“I am happy that we have qualified for Morocco, where our first goal will be to qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year summer. We will continue to work on the project, getting young players who are good enough to compete with the old guard, and pick the best team always. I like the spirit of the players and their commitment to the cause, and it is an incentive in itself to keep working hard at the project.”
Former Trinidad and Tobago head coach Waldrum handed four players their first caps in the crucial 2022 Women’s AFCON final qualifying round, first leg match against Cote d’Ivoire in Abuja in February, with one of them, Ifeoma Onumonu, scoring the two goals in the 2-0 win.
The other debutants, defender Ashleigh Plumptre (who has trained with the Nigeria team since August 2021 but got FIFA go-ahead to represent Nigeria at senior level in December 2021), midfielder Amanda Mbadi and forward Esther Okoronkwo, also gave good accounts of themselves on the day.
Okoronkwo, who plays for Saint Etienne in France, was the heroine in the return leg, scoring the only goal in Abidjan that sealed a 3-0 aggregate win.
