NFF President celebrates Super Falcons World Cup and Olympics return feats

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is upbeat about the future despite how 2023 and 2024 have been contrasting years for Nigeria’s senior women’s national team.

Despite the challenges at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Gusau praised the team for their historic run at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they made significant strides in women’s football.

At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Super Falcons advanced from the group stage with five points, drawing against Canada, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

They became the first African nation to progress through the group stage without a loss, keeping two clean sheets—a first for any African team at the Women’s World Cup.

However, the team’s fortunes took a sharp turn at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they lost all three of their group-stage matches against Brazil, Spain, and Japan.

Despite the Olympic disappointment, Gusau celebrated the team’s overall performance in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting their courage and resilience. Speaking during the NFF Annual General Assembly in Asaba, Gusau expressed his pride in the team’s efforts.

“The Super Falcons had a very good outing at the last World Cup in Australia,” Gusau said.

“Despite going out in the Round of 16, everybody saw the resilience and commitment of the girls. It attracted attention worldwide. I remember when I went to Australia for the closing ceremony, everyone was waiting to see me as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation. That shows the kind of improvement we’ve made in women’s football.”

Looking ahead, Gusau expressed confidence in the team’s potential, especially with the upcoming 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, which will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 tournament.

The Super Falcons have already qualified for the 2024 WAFCON and are also preparing for a return to the 2028 Olympics.

“The next WAFCON is in Morocco in June next year, and we have already qualified for that,” he said.

“We also qualified for the Olympics after 16 years of absence. While the performance at the Olympics was not very impressive, the important thing is that we became Olympians. The next Olympics, I know we will prepare better and build on what they have achieved.”

In the meantime, Justin Madugu has taken over as interim head coach following the expiration of Randy Waldrum’s contract at the conclusion of the Olympics.

Gusau expressed optimism that Madugu, along with the federation’s support, will help guide the team to greater success in the future.