National Teams
Paris 2024 Qualifiers: ‘We fear no foes’ – Randy Waldrum on Cameroon draw in Douala
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
After playing out a 0-0 draw with Cameroon in the first leg of the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers third round in Douala on Friday, the head coach of Nigeria, Randy Waldrum says he fears no foes.
With a draw and three wins by the team when his contract extension talks were going on, there are fears that the 0-0 draw with the Indomitable Lionesses has reset the factory setting of the team to goalless draws played at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
When asked if the team and coach were afraid of their Cameroon counterparts after the match, Waldrum responded in the negative.
“We are not afraid and I am not afraid. My mind as the manager of the squad doesn’t think in terms of what if we lose. That’s not in my mind. We always play to win,” Waldrum told media after the match.
The nine-time African champions played 0-0 draws three times with Canada, Republic of Ireland, and England at the last World Cup.
“We don’t fear any team.” He continued. “We have played the European champions to penalties at the World Cup and drew with Olympic gold medalists. We played Australia and won.
“We know that we can play against the best team in the world. There is no fear.
“I give credit to Cameroon for the job they did but there is no fear from my path.” He said.
The return leg of the encounter is billed for Monday in Abuja with the winner of the clash on aggregate likely to face African champions, South Africa in the fourth and final round of the qualifiers.
