The Super Falcons resumed training in Casablanca last night as they prepared for their Morocco 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations third place match against Zambia scheduled for the same city tonight from 9pm.
The team had boycotted training on Wednesday in protest over owed allowances and bonuses, which have not been paid in full since their first game in Morocco on July 4.
The Nigeria Football Federation and the sports ministry have given the players promises that their entitlements will be settled, with the delay being linked to the cumbersome payment processing from the ministry of finance and the Central Bank.
Although they defied sports minister Sunday Dare’s assurances on Wednesday and refused to train, they backed down last night after more persuasion and will face the Copper Queens in the bronze medal play-off tonight at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca.
The Super Falcons will be without the suspended pair of Halimat Ayinde and Rasheedat Ajibade, who were sent off in the semi-final against Morocco, as well as injured captain Onome Ebi, who tore a hamstring in the same match and could be out for up to two months.
However, head coach Randy Waldrum is looking beyond the injuries and the protests to target his first medal for Nigeria.
The American is optimistic that the Super Falcons will give their all despite all the issues they are fighting through.
“We have two players suspended as a result of red cards in the last game, and we also have some players down with injury,” Waldrum said.
“So, there will be changes but we will go for the best legs that would give us victory.”
Zambia head coach Bruce Mwape said his side are in the mood to give the Super Falcons a tough battle for bronze as the Copper Queens chase their first-ever medal of the tournament.
Still bristling from the perceived injustice of their defeat to South Africa, when they had a controversial penalty awarded against them late in the game, Mwape is after the bronze medal as compensation.
“We gave our all and created chances but we failed to take them and that was a mistake that we paid dearly for in the end,” he said.
“We have put that behind us and now, we want to win the bronze medals for our people.”
This is only the third time in the 12 editions of the day that the Super Falcons have failed to reach the final.
