National Teams
NFF makes u-turn on Algeria friendlies, names foreign pros in Super Falcons squad
By Samuel Ahmadu
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has decided to invite foreign-based players to join the Super Falcons for their friendly matches against Algeria, reversing its initial plan to rely solely on local talent, NigeriaFootball can exclusively report.
As earlier reported, the matches, scheduled for October 26 and 29, 2024 comes up in Lagos, with the international friendlies planned to launch the rebuilding process for the Super Falcons ahead of the next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Interim manager Justin Madugu scouted players from the 2024 Betsy Obaseki Cup in Benin, which ended on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 with Nasarawa Amazons crowned champions after a penalty shootout win over Bayelsa Queens in the finals.
Supported by coaches Ann Chiejine and Auwar Bashir Makwalla, Madugu assessed emerging talents from the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) to strengthen the senior women’s national team.
Source further revealed that the announcement of the Super Falcons players invited for the Algeria friendlies will be made public on or before Saturday, October 19, with the camp opening on Monday, October 21.
This scouting mission is part of the NFF’s broader strategy to inject fresh bloods into the Super Falcons, following the exit of former coach Randy Waldrum.
Madugu’s efforts will culminate in a training camp in late October, initially planned to feature solely locally based players, but will now be joined by overseas professionals.
This revised approach is expected to merge fresh talent with experienced players as the team prepares for upcoming competitions, aiming to bounce back from their disappointing group stage exit from the Paris 2024 Olympic last summer.
