Super Falcons abandoned after win over Banyana — NFF

The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) has lamented the South African Football Association’s poor treatment of the Super Falcons following Tuesday’s final 2024 Paris Olympics qualifier in Pretoria.

It will be recalled that with a 1-0 win over the Banyana Banyana in Abuja on Friday last week, the Super Falcons dug their feet into the ground to grind a favourable scoreless draw that qualified Nigeria to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.

According to the NFF’s Director of Competitions, Ruth David, the South African Football Association authorities abandoned the Super Falcons immediately after Tunisian referee Dorsaf Ganouati’s final whistle confirmed that Nigeria, and not South Africa, would be joining Brazil, Spain and Japan in Group C of this year’s Olympic Tournament.

“SAFA officials made it clear that we were thenceforth on our own. They said the bus would not move us to anywhere again, that their responsibilities ended with the final whistle. They only took us back to the hotel, and no longer detailed security personnel for the delegation.

“We must commend the Charge d’Affaires in the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, Mr. Alexander Tope Ajayi for all his efforts.

“He made the team feel comfortable and at home right from our arrival, organized dinner for the team and mobilized and provided transport for Nigerians based in Pretoria to come to the stadium and support the team.

“He also organized transport and saw the team off to the airport on departure,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s delegation to South Africa for Tuesday’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament final qualifying game flew back to the country on Wednesday night.

While most of the players and Coach Randy Waldrum left for their different bases direct from Johannesburg, eight players and the other team officials flew back to Lagos on Wednesday night aboard a South African Airways flight.

Nigeria returns to the Olympics for the first time in 16 years with their last appearance coming in Beijing 2008.

The 11-time continental champions Nigeria will be making their fourth appearance at the Olympics, with their best previous result being a quarter-final finish in Athens in 2004.