Nigeria national team coach Randy Waldrum has warned that the country's team needs to be professionally prepared to challenge for medals in the 2024 Olympic women's soccer competition.
The African qualifiers culminated on Tuesday with the Super Falcons and Zambia booking spots in Paris.
Nigeria, ranked 36th in the world, will return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
“My request and challenge is to the Minister of Sport and the federations to help us prepare properly,” Waldrum said.
The West Africans secured a goalless draw away to England to qualify. South Africa In Pretoria, they went up 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Rashidat Ajibade's win in the first leg.
The Super Falcons will face World Cup winners Spain, former world champions Japan and Brazil in Group C in Paris.
Waldrum, 67, added: “We need a camp in Europe to prepare our group. We need proper training and proper transportation.”
“We need to do things right because these women deserve this opportunity to represent our country Nigeria in the best possible way.”
Nigeria, 11-time continental champions, will be competing in the Olympics for the fourth time, with their previous best result being a quarter-final loss in Athens in 2004.
The Super Falcons reached the last 16 of last year's Women's World Cup, but lost to eventual runners-up England in a penalty shootout.
“In the Olympics, this arena is small, so every team is a top team,” American-Waldrum added.
“And if you look at our group, it’s a group of death, so to speak, just like in the World Cup.
“Sixteen years is a long time without qualifying and I'm very proud of the girls. We have some work to do offensively and we hope to improve before heading to France.”
meanwhile, Zambia Overturned the deficit in the first leg Morocco To earn consecutive Olympic berths.
Trailing 2-1 on aggregate, captain Barbra Banda scored an equalizer in the 38th minute, sending the game into extra time at Rabat's Moulay Hassan Stadium.
The Orlando Pride striker then scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 105th minute, giving the Copper Queens a 3-2 overall victory.
Zambia, ranked 65th in the world, will be in a tough Group B in Paris, along with four-time Olympic champions USA, 2016 champions Germany and World Cup semi-finalists Australia.
Although Zambia was eliminated in the group stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Banda became the first female athlete to score consecutive hat-tricks in one Olympics.
The 2024 Olympic women's soccer tournament will begin on July 25, the day before the opening ceremony in Paris, with the final to be held on August 10.
