NFF reinstates fitness coach Per Karlsson to bolster Super Falcons ahead of WAFCON 2024

By Samuel Ahmadu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has strengthened the technical team of the Super Falcons with the return of experienced fitness coach Per Karlsson ahead of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Karlsson, who previously worked with the national women’s team and recently with the India women’s national team, brings with him a wealth of cross-disciplinary expertise in elite athlete conditioning.

A former hammer throw athlete with a personal best of over 75 metres, Karlsson has transitioned into a respected strength and conditioning coach across various sports, including athletics, football, and ice hockey.

Karlsson assisted then manager Thomas Dennerby’s led technical crew which included current interim coach Justin Madugu to win the Ghana 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and reach the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France a year later.

Confirming his reappointment, team insiders highlighted his broad athletic background and previous success with the Falcons.

“Per was also with the Nigerian team. He was a hammer throw athlete, who could throw over 75 metres. He is very strong and has been working with endurance training for track and field athletes, football, hockey, and so on,” a source close to the technical staff revealed.

One of Karlsson’s key strengths lies in his experience developing young athletes.

“He has worked a lot with players between 15 and 17 years of age, and that is very important because if you have worked only with seniors, your expectations can be too high,” the source added.

Karlsson joins a technical crew led by Head Coach Madugu, alongside former Super Falcons goalkeeper and captain Ann Chiejine, and goalkeeper trainer Auwar Bashir Makwalla.

His return is part of NFF President Ibrahim Gusau’s commitment to seeing the Super Falcons reclaim the WAFCON title and restore Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s football.

Karlsson’s appointment is expected to enhance the team’s physical readiness and recovery protocols, especially with a compact tournament schedule looming.

The Super Falcons will begin their WAFCON 2024 campaign in Group B, where they face Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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