By Amaechi Agbo

After 16 months of inactive football by the national senior female team, the Super Falcons, the Nigeria Football Federation has approved the participation of the team at the 4th edition of Turkey Invitational tournament next year.

It is now the second time under the Pinnick administration that the Super Falcons will fail to play an international friendly in at least 12 months since 2016. 

Following his appointment in October, Waldrum will hope the Turkish tour takes place this time after an initial botched attempt in 2018 as he aims to unite with the squad for the first time.

The Turkey Invitational Tournament is scheduled to start in February 2021.

The Nigeria Football Federation approved the participation of the team in the tourney during its executive meeting on Monday.

“As a way of getting the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, busy in a period of long inactivity occasioned by the postponement of the 12th edition of the Women Africa Cup of Nations to year 2022, the Executive Committee approved a proposal by its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the team to participate in a tournament in Turkey and two-match tour of Morocco in February 2021,” the federation said in a statement. 

The Super Falcons two years ago pulled out of the same tournament in Turkey due to logistics.

The Nigerian ladies were due to travel ahead of their opening match against Kazakhstan but did not have enough time to secure visas due to their participation in the WAFU Women’s Cup.

Since playing out a 1-1 draw with the Ivory Coast female national team in the CAF Women’s Olympic Qualyfing tournament in Lagos on October 7, 2019, where Falcons failed to progress to the next round of the qualifiers, the team has not played a match ever since.

The 2021 edition is scheduled to be held from February 15 to 25 in Alanya and will be happening simultaneously with the Cyprus and Pinatar Cup.

Ghana Came third in the 2020 edition of the tournament held in March this year