The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has backed the Super Falcons of Nigeria to make the nation proud at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Soccernet.ng reports.
A spot kick goal by Rasheedat Ajibade at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja was enough to seal the win for Nigeria over two legs against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.
The 11-time African Champions have been drawn into the Olympics Group C where they will play against Brazil, Spain and Japan to qualify.
The team’s coach, Randy Waldrum, labelled their group to be the “group of death”, but the NFF President believes the Super Falcons can replicate their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup antics.
“We’ll try to better our World Cup performance where we crashed out without losing a single game during regulation time. The girls have shown resilience and determination to qualify for the Olympics against all odds and I trust them to carry that same spirit to the Games in Paris. The teams in our group are among the best in women’s football in the world but I can tell you that we can only respect them but will not be afraid to play any of them,” the 60-year-old told Complete Sports.
The NFF President believes the team’s statement in Australia should put enough fear into their opponents while highlighting the team’s goals.
“After a performance at the World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, I know none of the teams in our group will take us for granted. We want to qualify from the group stage and target the semi-finals which puts us in the medal range. I believe the team will do well in Paris and return to the country with medals on their neck. Missing three previous Olympics qualifications will motivate the girls to make their mark in Paris,” Mr Gusau added.
The women’s football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held from 25th July to the 10th of August 2024. It will be the eighth edition of the women’s Olympic football tournament.
N.B: We want to know your thoughts. Can the Super Falcons claim a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics? Let us know in the comments.