Coach of the Super Falcons of Nigeria, Randy Waldrum, expressed his joy and pride after his team secured qualification for the Paris Olympics.
Following a goalless draw in Pretoria, Waldrum commended his team’s efforts and highlighted the significance of their achievement, ending Nigeria’s 16-year absence from the Olympic Games since Beijing 2008.
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“I am extremely proud. It’s been, I think, 16 years since Nigeria has gone to the Olympics. So it was a big accomplishment for us to come in here on the road and do what we had to do to get a result.
Every team that’s home plays a little differently at home than away, and I thought we were very good defensively.”
Waldrum praised the resilience and defensive solidity of his team, acknowledging the challenges of playing away from home.
Despite the goalless draw, he lauded the Falcons’ discipline and determination to secure the crucial result.
While reflecting on areas for improvement, Waldrum expressed optimism about the team’s potential for growth with the opportunity for focused training sessions.
He highlighted the need to enhance offensive efficiency while maintaining their strong defensive record.
“I would have liked to have created a bit more offensively, but the one thing that this will now allow us is some training time, some actual camp where we can train and prepare and work a little bit more on our game model.”
Waldrum extended his congratulations to the players, fans, and stakeholders for their collective efforts in achieving Olympic qualification, emphasizing the significance of the moment for Nigerian football.
“But I’m just so proud of these players and what they’ve accomplished for our country of Nigeria and the Federation and the Ministry of Sport. Everybody back home in Nigeria I know has to be very happy.”
As Nigeria prepares for the Paris Olympics, Waldrum remains optimistic about the team’s prospects and is committed to further development and improvement as they aim to make a mark on the global stage.
