Patience Avre-Odeli Urges NSC, NFF to Ensure Super Falcons Qualify for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

Former Nigeria forward and Olympian, Patience Avre-Odeli, has called on the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure that Nigeria secures one of Africa’s two tickets for the Women’s Football Tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Super Falcons faces a challenging path to qualification after being drawn against either Sudan or Comoros in the second round of African qualifiers, scheduled for the weekend of October 5–13, 2026. Victory in this round would see the Super Falcons face either Morocco or Congo in the third round, set for February 23–March 6, 2027.

Should Nigeria progress past that stage, the fourth round—slated for October 4–12, 2027—will pit them against the winners of matches between Tunisia/Senegal and Benin Republic/Mali. The final phase of qualifiers, scheduled for November 23–December 4, 2027, will feature Nigeria against one of the strongest teams emerging from previous rounds, including potential matchups with Cameroon or Guinea, DR Congo or Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic or Algeria, and Burkina Faso or Equatorial Guinea.

Speaking from her base in the United States, Avre-Odeli, who represented Nigeria at the 1995, 1999, and 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, warned that the Super Falcons could fail to qualify for Los Angeles 2028 without proper planning and early preparation.

“No country is a minor in African women’s football today,” she emphasized on Prompt News, highlighting Morocco and Cameroon as significant threats to Nigeria’s Olympic hopes. “I have been following the Super Falcons closely since my retirement, and I know that without adequate preparations, the team may not perform as expected. Olympic qualifiers have always been tough because Africa has only a few slots, and Nigeria cannot miss out.”

Avre-Odeli urged both the NSC and NFF to take the team’s preparations seriously. Unlike the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the NFF primarily funds, the NSC is responsible for financing athletes representing Nigeria at the Olympics. She expressed confidence that NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko would work closely with NFF leadership to provide the Super Falcons with the necessary support to navigate the four qualifying phases.

The Chairperson of the United Ex-Super Falcons Association insisted that Nigeria must not miss the chance to qualify for the Summer Olympics, noting that the country has the talent to secure a ticket if the sports administrators provide adequate support and resources throughout the qualifying campaign.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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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