Paris 2024: Randy Waldrum advices IOC to revisit game intervals

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, Randy Waldrum has latched out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the closeness of game intervals.

Waldrum said the IOC should look into the three-day interval in between games at the women’s football event of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

While reacting to the results of the quarter-final games at the Paris 2024, he said the teams are exhausted.

“All these teams in the knockout stages look exhausted,” Waldrum posted on his X handle.

“The IOC needs to revisit playing every three days. This puts players in a dangerous position, with very little opportunity to recover properly with travel between games. #Paris2024.”

The games at the quarter-final of the Paris 2024 Olympics for women’s football tournament showed that the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) waited till extra time to beat Japan.

Germany had to rely on penalties to see off Olympic champions Canada after a goalless draw in regulation time.

World Champions Spain had to come from two goals down to secure a 4-2 win on penalties, while Brazil edged host France 1-0.

Super Falcons under Waldrum lost all the group games to Brazil, Spain, and Japan with the coach giving the impression of the difference between the World Cup and Olympics based on intervals between games ahead of the tournament.