Former Super Falcons player Gift Okunwa-Igunbor emphasized the importance of early preparation for the Olympics, highlighting areas of improvement for the team as they gear up for the summer games.
While confident in the team’s ability to secure the Olympic ticket, Okunwa-Igunbor warned against complacency and stressed the need for concerted efforts to meet the expectations of Nigerians at the Olympics.
Read Also: NAFF President Paul Maduakor Extends Eid Al Fitr Greetings, Calls for Support Ahead of Nations Cup
“I told you now that we are going to qualify. South Africa, they can only try. Any country in Africa that comes to play Nigeria will only try because Nigeria has the edge over them. But we need to reshuffle our teams.”
Okunwa-Igunbor expressed confidence in Nigeria’s superiority in African football but called for a strategic reorganization of the team to maximize their potential on the global stage.
“We don’t have a team yet. It’s not good enough. It is not good. In the sense that we have strikers, we have lots of attackers, but they are not playing together.
They are not playing as a team, everybody is playing individually So we need to go to the board.”
Identifying a lack of cohesion and teamwork within the squad, Okunwa-Igunbor urged the coaching staff to address these issues and foster a sense of unity and collective purpose among the players.
Okunwa-Igunbor highlighted the disparity in team dynamics between previous tournaments and the current campaign, emphasizing the need for a cohesive and well-organized squad to succeed at the Olympics.
“We have to reshuffle our team back. If you compare the World Cup that they played last, and compare it with this one that they are playing.
They don’t have team, they don’t have team character. They don’t have anything.”
Okunwa-Igunbor stressed the urgency of early preparation and strategic restructuring to ensure the Nigerian team’s readiness for the Olympics.
She emphasized the importance of teamwork and cohesion in achieving success on the global stage, urging the coaching staff to take proactive measures in reshaping the squad for optimal performance.
“The coaches need to work on reshuffling the team. The Olympic time is very far, but it is very near. Early preparation will be better for the Nigerian team.”
