By Roland Ike, Abakaliki
Former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ebonyi State, Cletus Ofoke has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure intense preparations for the Super Falcons towards the Olympics Games in Paris, France.
The Falcons qualified for the Olympics by drawing 0-0 with the Bayana Bayana on April 9 after an earlier 1-O win in Abuja, in the first leg of the final qualifier.
The Nigerian ladies thus secured an Olympics berth for the first time since the Beijing 2008 games and has Brazil, Spain and Japan as group opponents at the Paris games.
Ofoke, a Football enthusiast joined other fans to congratulate the team for the feat and urged the NFF to be serious in adequately preparing the team for the games.
“I want to commend the team for its gallantry in the face of all South African antics and this shows that it is indeed a power-house in African female football.
“The team is however in a group of death at the Olympics and can only survive when prepared to compete at the same level with its opponents.”
Maxwell Umahi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Ebonyi Governor on Urban Development also hailed the team for the qualification and urged the NFF to pay adequate attention to its preparations.
“I was impressed with the players tenacity during the match, a trait they have shown consistently since the fabulous world cup outing in 2023.
“I urge the NFF to accede to the coach’s declaration that a European camping will ensure the team’s success as most of the players are based there.”
Mrs Olumma Ani, a female football promoter based in Abakaliki attributed the qualification to the NFF’s ‘wise decision’ of retaining Coach Randy Waldrum.
“The coach presented a team that made Nigeria and Africa proud at the last women’s world cup and we led the agitation for his retention despite resentment in several quarters.
“Waldrum has injected defensive solidity and general team organisation in the team and the continuity factor might hunt the Super Eagles after the NFF failed to retain Jose Peseiro.”
Tina Onuoha, a teacher urged Nigerians to pray for the team as it prepares to compete in the tournament’s group of death.
“The players should believe in themselves just as the Zambian ladies did and turned the tide against Morocco after a first leg loss in the final qualifiers”, she advised.
