Nigeria’s Super Falcons Head to the Olympics With the “We no go Gree for Anybody” Attitude

Prepping for gold

Kanu, one of the Super Falcon’s brightest forwards, spends her day at camp with a slim, but strict routine comprising of early morning prayers, breakfast, intense training, naps in between training time and then staying “on the phone with my family who are far away from me.” She continues, “I write as well, as I am trying to compile my thoughts down on whatever happens here at camp towards the Olympics.”

While in camp, Kanu says the team looks to be in great shape, judging from the training and test games they’ve been in. More than anything though, Kanu is excited for this moment. “It’s always an honor to represent Nigeria and be a part of this team. I am looking forward to participating in the Olympics,” she says. “It’s my first appearance at the Olympics and I am super happy and grateful for the opportunity. I am a little bit nervous, but I can’t wait to embrace all the experience and have fun with my teammates,” she adds.

Vigo attributes the recent success of the Super Falcons to their coach, Randy Waldrum. “He’s worked with the girls for a couple of years, so everyone understands his style, his structure and what he wants from his players,” Vigo says. “The players have adapted to that which has led to them playing well. Lack of having a coach that has worked with the players over time has stopped us from qualifying for the Olympics or even just playing well in general.”

Post-Olympics hopes

To maintain the impressive steam generated by the Super Falcons, Vigo says it is necessary to improve support systems for homegrown teams. “The ladies have been doing us very proud, so we need to back them up,” he says. “This could come in the form of pumping in money to build a proper training facility which the ladies and the national men’s team can also use. When camp is coming up, and the team is not training on proper pitches, it hinders progress.”

With only days until the Olympics kick off, Kanu says long travel times and visa processing issues were the most challenging parts of the preparations. Now that those have been sorted, Kanu and her teammates are ready to make the country proud.

She adds, “The part of home [Nigeria] which I will be taking to the Olympics would be my steeze, I will try to maintain my steeze for myself and my team. The Naija spirit, we have to bring it all out to the tournament and most of all, will be support from my family. I am looking forward to making my family proud.”

With a bright future ahead and an expectant nation whose Olympics hopes are being led by a group of extraordinary women who have traversed all odds to achieve global notoriety, the Super Falcons, according to Kanu, have only one message ahead of the 2024 Olympics, “We no go gree for anybody (a personal commitment to remain resolute and undeterred towards one's goals, refusing to yield to obstacles or people who might hinder their fulfillment).”