Nigeria vs Canada: 3 mistakes coach Randy Waldrum made in Super Falcons' World Cup opener

Randy Waldrum.

Nigeria vs Canada: 3 mistakes coach Randy Waldrum made in Super Falcons' World Cup opener

Stephen Oladehinde 07:07 - 21.07.2023

The Super Falcons begin their Women’s World Cup campaign with a 0-0 draw against Olympic champions Canada in their first Group B game.

Randy Waldrum's team struggled to keep possession of the ball for most of the game and also had a player sent off for a horrible tackle of a Canadian player.

The game ended in a goalless draw, thanks to a superb penalty save for the Super Falcons' number one goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

With the Super Falcons earning a point in their first Women’s World Cup match, we take a look at three mistakes made by head coach Randy Waldrum.

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1. Depending on counter attack 

The Super Falcons were not able to impose themselves in the game as they sat back to contain the pressure from the Canadian W.

The tactics used by the head coach Randy Waldrum did not help the ladies when they had possession of the ball.

This led to going into unnecessary tackles which almost cost them the game, thanks to a good penalty save from Chiamaka Nnadozie.

They also had a red card issued to a Super Falcons player Deborah Abiodun who made a leg-breaking challenge on Ashley Lawrence.

Randy Waldrum Super Falcons head coach
Randy Waldrum Super Falcons head coach

2. Bad formation

The 4-5-1 formation used by Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum was not the best formation for the team.

During the game, Assist Oshoala was isolated upfront and did not have any backup when she was with the ball.

The formation showed how deep the midfielders were during the game and could not join the attack to support Oshoala.

The team needed a full throttle going forward with the flanks being in operation and not an isolated lone figure up front to do all the job alone.

4-5-1 Formation used by Randy Waldrum|| Credit: Flashscore
4-5-1 Formation used by Randy Waldrum|| Credit: Flashscore

3. Head coach did not play to the team's strength 

Randy Waldrum, Super Falcons head coach, did not identify the strength of his team which limited their chances to win the game.

The physicality of Oshoala, Francisca Ordega and Ifeoma Onumonu was not used to bully the Canadian off the ball.

They had a very low press resistance and allowed the Canadians to dictate the game as they wanted.

Jordyn Huitema of Canada fights for the ball with Super Falcons player Christy Ucheibe
Jordyn Huitema of Canada fights for the ball with Super Falcons player Christy Ucheibe

If his team had utilised their physicality against Canada they would have been able to create more counterattacks and possibly score a goal in the game.