Randy Waldrum addresses Super Falcons goalscoring concern after slim victory against Cameroon

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 event with a 1-0 aggregate scoreline, 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 acknowledged that the team played more directly due to the opponents’ tactics.

While expressing full confidence in his players, Waldrum lamented the challenging weather conditions, stating a preference for playing under lights, especially since most of his players are based in Europe.

Waldrum said: “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 side to give you something.

“I felt Deborah was fantastic in midfield, winning balls, matching the physicality of the team. Our chances we created were good. When we lost patience, we played a little bit more directly because it is not the way we want to play.

“The weather here is tough. 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 get better, where 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.” he concluded.

The final round fixture between nine-time champions of Africa, Nigeria, and reigning African champions South Africa will be played in April, 2024.