NFF hires Swedish analyst Igor Krulj to boost Super Falcons ahead of WAFCON 2024

By Samuel Ahmadu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Swedish video analyst Igor Krulj to the Super Falcons’ technical crew as part of preparations for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Krulj, 36, a UEFA Pro License coach and Chief Scout of Swedish top-flight club IFK Värnamo, is expected to strengthen the team’s analytical and tactical capabilities as Nigeria aims to reclaim the continental title and secure a record-extending 10th WAFCON crown.

The 13th edition of the WAFCON will hold from July 5 to 26, 2025. The Super Falcons, drawn in Group B, will begin their campaign on July 6 against Tunisia in Casablanca, before facing Algeria and Botswana in subsequent group matches—all scheduled in the same city.

Krulj is known for his data-driven approach to team preparation and will deploy advanced tools such as Spiideo and PlaymakerAI to provide performance analysis, focusing on both team tactics and individual development.

He joins fellow Swede Per Karlsson, a fitness and conditioning coach who returned to the team last month for the friendly against Cameroon in Abeokuta. Karlsson previously worked with the team up until 2019.

Krulj has over a decade of experience in Swedish elite football, including stints as head coach of Halmstads BK and as both coach and sporting director at Örgryte IS. He is fluent in English, Swedish, and Serbo-Croatian, and is expected to integrate smoothly into the Falcons’ backroom staff.

Krulj is scheduled to join the Super Falcons’ training camp in Portugal on Sunday, where they will work alongside head coach Justin Madugu, assistant coach Ann Agumanu-Chiejine, fitness coach Karlsson, and goalkeeper trainer Auwal Makwalla as West Africans intensify preparations for the continental tournament.

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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