PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images via BBC / Punch Newspapers
Dennerby Eyes Super Falcons Return Ahead of Olympic Qualifiers
Former Super Falcons head coach, Thomas Dennerby, is in line for a return to the Nigerian women’s national team as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) moves to appoint a new technical crew before next month’s Olympic qualifiers.

This was reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

The push for a new coach follows the decision in August by the NFF to dissolve the technical crew led by Justine Madugu. The move came after a disappointing outing at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where the Falcons failed to defend their title and missed out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup — despite having led the team to a record-extending 10th WAFCON title in 2025.

The interim leadership of the NFF under Emmanuel Ikpeme is now racing to secure a new handler before the Falcons begin their 2028 Olympic Games qualification campaign against Comoros in October.

Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, had earlier confirmed that the team would get a new technical team before the qualifiers.

“The Olympics are around the corner; we will see how we can tweak the technical team of the Falcons as we did for the U-23, which coach Eric Chelle will handle. This is because we are desirous of qualifying for the Olympics,” Olopade said in August.

While talks with Dennerby are understood to be ongoing, Nigerian coaches have not been ruled out. Former captain and 2016 WAFCON-winning coach, Florence Omagbemi, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

Dennerby, 65, remains top of the NFF’s list. The Swedish tactician previously managed the Super Falcons between January 2018 and September 2019, guiding the team to victory at the 2018 WAFCON in Ghana and to the Round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France — the team’s first knockout stage appearance in 20 years.

He left the role in 2019 after a dispute with the federation and later took charge of the Indian women’s national team until 2023.

Nigeria, who returned to the women’s football event at the Paris 2024 Olympics after a 16-year absence but crashed out in the group stage, will see the Olympic qualifiers as a chance to redeem themselves after missing the World Cup ticket.

The Falcons will face Comoros in October. Comoros advanced to the second round after a dominant 30-0 aggregate win over Sudan — winning 17-0 in the first leg on June 3 and 13-0 in the second leg.
SOURCE: Punch Newspapers