Paris 2024: Super Falcons off to Douala to confront Indomitable Lionesses

Nine-time African champions Nigeria will fly to Cameroon’s industrial and economic capital, Douala on Wednesday night as they continue the search for a ticket to another appearance at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years.

The Super Falcons last participated at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in China in 2008, when they lost by the odd goal to both Democratic Republic of Korea and Germany in Shenyang, and 1-3 to Brazil in Beijing to crash out at group stage.

The route to London 2012 was blocked by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, who won a penalty shoot-out in Yaounde after both teams finished the two legs in a stalemate. Equatorial Guinea made the journey to Rio 2016 impossible and Cote d’Ivoire bumped the Falcons in the race to a place in Tokyo.

After eliminating Ethiopia in the second round of the series, the Super Falcons must now cross the Cameroonian hurdle to reach the final round of the African qualification series, and throw down the gauntlet to whichever opposition appears at that stage in two months’ time.

The first leg encounter will take place at the Stade de la Reunification in Douala on Friday evening, with Ugandan official Shamirah Nabadda as referee. Her compatriots Lydia Nantabo, Jane Mutonyi and Diana Murungi will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively. Khadija Rezzag from Morocco will be the referee assessor while Lukusa Kanjinga from Democratic Republic of Congo will be the commissioner.     

Coach Randy Waldrum has selected 21 players, who will all be on the trip to Douala, and then fly down to Abuja on Sunday morning for the return leg against the Lionesses, which will hold at the MKO Abiola National Stadium on Monday evening.

Waldrum and his assistants will lead the full squad on a training session at the main bowl of MKO Abiola National Stadium on Wednesday evening before the delegation’s departure to Douala. The team will have the official training at the Stade de la Reunification in Douala on Thursday evening.

By Tuesday afternoon, only attacking midfielder Toni Payne and forward Uchenna Kanu were being expected at the team camp, with Kanu scheduled to turn up on Tuesday night and Payne expected on Wednesday morning.