International Football
Randy Waldrum promises Nigeria, a world class women’s national team
Days after leading the Super Falcons to once more earn a berth at African women football’s flagship tournament – the Women Africa Cup of Nations – American gaffer Randy Waldrum has informed thenff.com that the mission of the current technical staff of the nine-time African champions is to see the team match the world’s best teams yard-for-yard and width-for-width at the most glamorous championships.
The 65-year old, signed on by the Nigeria Football Federation in October 2020 to steer the Falcons to new levels after decades of flagrant domination on the African continent, believes the current squad has the spirit, depth and capacity to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Team USA, Germany, Japan, Norway and Brazil when the die is cast.
The Falcons have been to every single edition of the FIFA World Cup since the competition was launched in 1991, but have only survived group stage attrition on two occasions – in the USA in 1999 and in France 20 years later.
“Our initial mandate as given by the NFF was to qualify the team for the Women AFCON in Morocco. That, we have achieved. However, in the preparation and process, we also had in mind the imperative of building a squad with the strength, stamina and technical balance to give the world’s best teams a good run for their money, anyday and anywhere.
“I am happy that we have qualified for Morocco, where our first goal will be to qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year summer. We will continue to work on the project, getting young players who are good enough to compete with the old guard, and pick the best team always. I like the spirit of the players and their commitment to the cause, and it is an incentive in itself to keep working hard at the project.”
Waldrum, a former American professional soccer player who has coached the USA U23 girls as well as the senior women team of Trinidad and Tobago, underscored his boldness when he handed four players their first caps in the crucial 2022 Women AFCON final qualifying round, first leg match against the Lady Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Abuja on 18th February. Defender Ashleigh Plumptre (who has trained with the Nigeria team since August 2021 but got FIFA go-ahead to represent Nigeria at senior level in December 2021), midfielder Amanda Mbadi and forwards Ifeoma Onumonu and Esther Okoronkwo gave good accounts of themselves on the day.
Plumptre was the heart-throb of the crowd with her strength and savvy in defence, while Onumonu, who plays for Gotham FC in New York, scooped the honours by scoring both goals that handed Nigeria the advantage in the two-leg fixture.
Okoronkwo, who plays for Saint Etienne in France, was the heroine in the return leg, hammering the nail in the coffin of the Ivorians with an 87th minute goal that sealed a 3-0 aggregate win, after goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie had saved a penalty with 11 minutes left in the first period.
Ageless and tireless stallion Francisca Ordega scored a goal that was ruled out in the opening half, and the fact that the Falcons felt strongly that they were denied a penalty of their own summed up the fact that they gave as much as they received in Abidjan. The performance ledger was of a different colour from the way they puttered and petered out against the same Ivorians in the race for a spot at the 2020 Olympic Women’s Football Tournament.
Veterans Onome Ebi and Osinachi Ohale also stood firm in defence, with Toni Payne and Rasheedat Ajibade pulling strings in midfield.
Talking about strength-in-depth, another veteran, Rita Chikwelu still have some fire in the middle of the pack, and Uchenna Kanu and Christy Ucheibe can add lustre at the fore on their day.
There are still options like Akudo Ogbonna, Rofiat Imuran, Oluwatosin Demehin, Nicole Payne and Christy Ogbonna in the defence, with veteran Tochukwu Oluehi able to deputise for the fabulous Chiamaka Nnadozie in goal. In the midfield, Amarachi Okoronkwo can deliver long passes and bullet shots when least expected, and Ngozi Okobi is able to provide penetrating passes that puts the strikers in good steads to deliver. Regina Otu and the Israel-based duo of Yetunde Aluko and Peace Efih are additional ammunition in midfield.
The nifty Gift Monday remains a strong force in attack, and is sure to challenge Onumonu and Okoronkwo for starting places when the team regroups sometimes in April.
The picture is of a New Nigeria squad that is able and blessed in all departments, and could achieve great things under a focused technical crew. Waldrum, recently handed a fresh two-year contract that will last till after the World Cup in Down Under, has no doubts whatsoever that his team could become one of the world’s very best soonest.
“The girls are bold, inventive and help one another out there on the pitch. It is a good picture that brings good feelings and you have the conviction that this is a team that can do great things.
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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