By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Former Super Falcons head coach Sam Okpodu has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to handle its relationship with the women’s national team with care and professionalism ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which kicks off in Morocco in March.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Jersey Number 12 on Wednesday, Okpodu stressed that unresolved internal issues could distract the Super Falcons before and during the tournament if not properly addressed.
“They need to have good team management in place before they board the plane,” Okpodu said. “The team’s technical crew and the NFF officials should focus more on internal issues to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Super Eagles’ camp in Morocco.”
The former Bendel Insurance midfielder also advised the NFF to properly brief the Super Falcons on how to deal with potential off-field provocations from the host nation, warning that Morocco may employ different tactics from those seen at the recently concluded AFCON to gain a competitive edge at WAFCON.
“No country wants to host the AFCON and lose at the end of the competition,” he added. “The Moroccans we saw at the AFCON are still the same. They are still going to do the same.”
Assessing Nigeria’s chances of reclaiming the continental crown, Okpodu cautioned against overconfidence, noting the rapid development of women’s football across Africa.
“We don’t believe we’ll be knocked out of the competition. It has happened before, and other countries are also preparing. From what I can see, it won’t be easy.”
Okpodu further called on the NFF to ensure the Super Falcons play at least four high-quality friendly matches before the tournament, stressing that such games would allow the technical crew to identify weaknesses and address them promptly.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group C, where they will face Egypt, Malawi and Zambia in their quest for another WAFCON title.
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