Super Falcons and the Lessons of Revelations Cup

 

Nigeria ended their adventure at the Revelations Cup in Mexico with a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Costa Rica early on Wednesday morning.

The Super Falcons, with the narrow win, finished as the third-best team at the four-nation invitational tournament.

Here are the major talking points around the team’s ten-day stay in Mexico.

1. Randy Waldrum does not know his best eleven yet

American tactician Randy Waldrum has been at the helm of the Super Falcons’ coaching affairs for over two years after taking the job in October 2020.

Still, the 66-year-old is not fully aware of how best to deploy the talents at his disposal.

Waldrum is undecided about whether Ashleigh Plumptre is a left-back, centre-back, or defensive midfielder.

Osinachi Ohale is Waldrum’s first-choice centre-back, but the issue of who will pair the 31-year-old is still unclear. Onome Ebi, Alozie, and Plumptre have taken turns beside her to little success.

The same could be said in midfield, where only Benfica’s Christy Ucheibe has a settled role, with the other two positions up for grabs. There is so much to say about the attack.

2. Ifeoma Onumonu is not Nigeria’s best alternative to Asisat Oshoala

Tall, strong, and a hard worker, Onumonu is the prototype of any manager’s ideal forward.

But the Super Falcons have not seen nor enjoyed much of her goalscoring prowess.

While the Rancho Cucamonga-born striker has a decent record in front of goal at the club level, she only has two goals for Nigeria in 14 appearances.

With Waldrum keeping faith with the 28-year-old, the goals have dried up for the Falcons. The team managed just one goal in three games in Mexico despite creating several chances.

Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo must be given more time to stake their claims to a starting shirt.shirt.

3. The Super Falcons need Asisat Oshoala

While the Nigerian national women’s team has struggled for goals on the continent and beyond, the Barcelona forward has been a consistent goalscoring machine in the Spanish Primera Division Femenina.

The Falcons registered only three goals in their last eight games, losing seven. Oshoala, on the other hand, has found the back of the net 15 times in 10 appearances in 2023 alone.

Nigeria failed without her at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the Revelations Cup. Efforts should be made to get her firing at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

4. Echegini is Nigeria’s best creative outlet

Jennifer Onyi Echegini finally made the Super Falcons starting lineup against Costa Rica, and she showed off her immense talents even at such a young age.

The 21-year-old was easily Nigeria’s best player on the pitch, with her movement and composure on the ball causing several difficulties for the opponents.

Echegini crowned her display with the assist for the Falcons’ only goal in Mexico, and it will be interesting to see how head coach Randy Waldrum unleashes her at the World Cup