Saint Etienne attacker, Esther Ijeoma Okoronkwo said the Super Falcons can use the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as the platform to re-launch Nigeria as the undisputed women’s football team in Africa with excellent performance
Super Falcons have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) for a record nine times and have played in the quarter final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup as other African countries are unrelenting in their quest to catch up with Nigeria.
The Super Falcons that finish a distant fourth at the last WAFCON held in Morocco last year behind South Africa, Morocco and Zambia, have fallen to the 42nd spot in the world ranking,
Okoronkwo who has scored twice in her last three games for Nigeria , told NFF Tv that putting up wonderful performance against Group B rivals Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland who are all ahead of the Super Falcons in the FIFA ranking prior to the World Cup in about three months, would help confirm Nigeria as Africa’s best.
“I’m dreaming about having a wonderful performance at the World Cup. We have to show the world what Nigeria could do,” Okoronkwo said.
“We are really good team with good players as well. We just got to show it to the world in Australia.”
Okoronkwo who began her incredible journey with the Falcons with the crucial goal that qualified Nigeria for the WAFCON in Abidjan against Cote d’Ivoire said she was thrilled to help her country beat the stubborn Ivorians.
She scored another one against Costa Rica that ended Falcons’ run of seven successive losses and Okoronkwo was quick to praise the quality in the Nigerian team and the superb assist from Jennifer Onyi Echegini for the goal.
“It felt really good to come in and scored the goal of that magnitude. I was very happy to be able to help the team the way I can.
“It was a very good assist from Jennifer Echegini. It was more like a team work. We needed that win having gone on seven winless streaks.
“We had to show the world that we are number one in Africa for a reason. We came out against Costa Rica as a team and got the deserved win.”
The Super Falcons won again against New Zealand on Tuesday in Antalya, Turkey and the Saint Etienne striker thumbed up the team’s togetherness in the game, she implored that Nigeria must play at the World Cup as a team to achieve the desired goal.
“We were ready for the game. We came all out and played like a team. We stayed together and played for each other. We were united ahead of the game with New Zealand,” she continued. “We have amazing individual players but that can’t win us trophies or take us far. We must continue to play together as a team.”
Okoronkwo described her experience in camp as wonderful and she hailed the return of some of Falcons’ good legs like Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade and that having the three in camp at once will help boost the team’s confidence.
“The vibe in camp is great and amazing. Everyone is getting along. We love each other and fight for each other. There is nothing like having great people around you encouraging you on and off the pitch.
“We have always wanted to be together as a team but it has never worked. We were able to come together this time and it is very good and important especially for the World Cup. We need all our top players in the build up for the World Cup. To have them in camp for the last two games helped a lot.”
Yet Ashleigh Megan Plumptre has cautioned Nigerians to lower their expectations of the team ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July. Injury knocked the Leicester City Women FC side defender off the two international friendlies with Haiti and New Zealand though she was in camp for both games.
Speaking with NFF Tv, Plumptre who was raised in England but chose to play for the Falcons stated that Nigeria still need to prepare better to be ready for the World Cup.
She hailed the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) for organizing the camping exercise but reckoned that Falcons still need more of preparatory games to be ready for the World Cup.
“Australia will be coming so soon for us right now but I think we are preparing for it with the short camp we have had in Turkey,” Plumptre confessed .”All eyes will be on the World Cup in the summer but right now we are trying to put a lot of details into practice and make sure that come in the summer the team is ready to perform.”
Plumptre who has featured 16 times for Leicester City in the English Women’s Super League said with more preparations garnished with irresistible motivation, Falcons would be envy of all in Australia.
Super Falcons will campaign in Group B at the next World Cup alongside. Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland with respective matches against their rivals on July 21st , 27th and 31st.