Nigeria’s opening group game at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is important, but the Super Falcons are more focused on having a great tournament and not just one game, head Coach Randy Waldrum has said.
The rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa has become box office lately with the latter steadily closing up the gulf in quality between the two.
South Africa have also enjoyed a better head to head in their most recent meetings, although beat them in the final of the last edition of the WAFCON.
Ahead of the next installment of their rivalry, Waldrum has played down on the eventual outcome of the group match.
“We have to remember the last Africa Cup of Nations; Nigeria lost to South Africa in their first game and then came back and won in the final,” the Super Falcons Coach recalled.
“That game we understand is very important being the first one and those three points would be massive – to get that result.”
“But we also have to understand that regardless of the result we are still in the tournament to advance and even if we win the game there’s a very good likelihood we could play them in the final.
“We put weight on the South Africa game obviously but we have to understand the way the tournament works, we can’t just lose our way if that game doesn’t go well,” Waldrum told NFF TV.
