PITTSBURGH — After a successful season for the Pitt Panthers women's soccer that ended in an elimination in the Elite Eight, head coach Randy Waldrum and freshman midfielder Deborah Abiodun have more to celebrate. The two will head to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics as members of the Super Falcons.
In addition to the Pitt women's soccer team, Waldrum is also the head coach of Nigeria's national women's soccer team, the Super Falcons. Abiodun joined the Panthers this fall and helped them win a national title.
Waldrum joined the Panthers in 2017 and led the Panthers to their most successful season on record. In 2022, Waldrum led the Panthers to their first ACC Championship Game and their first NCAA Tournament berth in program history. Waldrum ranks ninth in Division I history in wins and has the first National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) draft pick in program history in 2024, along with Amanda West and Randy Martz.
Abiodun joined the Panthers as a freshman in the 2023 season, appearing in 22 games and recording six goals and three assists. Her best performance was against Duquesne, where she scored two goals on five shots.
Waldrum was appointed manager of the Super Falcons in 2020 following the retirement of coach Thomas Dennerby. Since Waldrum took over, the Super Falcons have made two consecutive World Cup appearances and reached the Round of 16 twice. This is the first time the Super Falcons have qualified for the Olympics since 2008, when they lost all three appearances. As a member of the Super Falcons, Abiodun played in three matches and earned a crucial red card against Canada at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Waldrum and the Super Falcons, a group that also includes Spain and Japan, will begin their Olympic schedule on July 25 against Brazil.
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