By Monica Iheakam
Super Falcons American coach, Randy Waldrum, has joined the team in Turkey.
Falcons arrived in Antalya, Turkey early Monday and settled down at their Emir hotels camp ahead of the fifth edition of the Turkish Women’s Cup which kicked off yesterday.
This is the first close-up interaction the coach, who was employed four months ago, will have the team.
Waldrum, it would be recalled, had expressed excitement on learning of the approval of the Nigeria Football Federation for the senior women team to be part of the tournament in Turkey.
“I’m very appreciative of the NFF for approving these vitally important events. I think this calendar year 2021 is vital to our development before qualification begins.”
Ukraine, Serbia, India, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan and Equatorial Guinea are among teams confirmed so far for the 10-day tourney, though Tokyo Olympics-bound Zambia have pulled out for undisclosed reasons.
Nine-time African champions, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang Nacional have been lumped into the same pool alongside Uzbekistan, with the Guineans handed an opportunity to address a 6-0 spanking by the Nigerians in the group phase of the 2018 Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ghana.
The Falcons will aim to become the first African side to triumph at the tournament, following the third place finish by Ghana’s Black Queens last year. Chile won the trophy with Hungary as runner-up.
