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Tag: Edwin Okon

  • NWFL: Rivers Angels hopeful of trophy despite string of draws

    Rivers Angels FC  says it hopes to retain the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) back-to-back despite string of draws in the first stanza of the season.

    Edwin Okon, Technical Adviser of the club, said in Port Harcourt on Friday that they would work hard to retain the title when the second round of the league begins on June 7.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the club played six matches in the first stanza; won three and drew three.

    Okon in a statement, said despite the team’s failure to win all the matches, he was satisfied with his girls’ performances.

    “If you check all the teams in the first round, you can see that almost everyone lost one or two matches, but we didn’t.

    “We tried as much as we could to get points on the road and we nearly won away as teams had to force us to draws at their own backyard.

    “The matches we drew were games we could have won, but we didn’t. I’m happy with the way the girls played in the first round,” he said.

    According to Okon, a huge task awaits the ‘Jewels of Rivers’ in the second round.

    The former Super Falcons’ gaffer said, “I am not worried. I am looking forward to maintaining our position in the second round.

    “If we can get a level playing ground, then you can be sure we would win our group.” he said.

    Rivers Angels would kick-start her second round of the NWFL when they play  Bayelsa Queens on June 7 in Nembe.

     

  • WWC: We did not play to Okon’s instructions – Falcons

    WWC: We did not play to Okon’s instructions – Falcons

    • As they insist ‘God of soccer’ did not fail them
    The Super Falcons of Nigeria in spite of their 2-0 loss to a technically sound Australian team on Friday at the Winnipeg Stadium had insisted that God was still with the team.
    One of the Super Falcons players who spoke with NationSports confessed that the team did not play to Coach Edwin Okon’s instructions.
    “Today was our bad day. I can’t say the God of soccer failed us because we did not do the right thing. Our coach told us that we needed to fight together but we did not,” she said.
    The Most Valuable Player (MVP)  of the match against Sweden, Ngozi Akobi was however of the opinion that the players did not put up the fighting spirit that was synonymous with the team in their opening match against Sweden.
    “Only God knows why we were not coordinated, we were so anxious,”  she revealed.
    There was however a notion that the Nigerian team was more of a spiritual team than other teams. This was captured by some Australian journalists in their tabloid prior to the match against the Coach Edwin Okon led team.
    However the Super Falcons Coach who is also known in the tournament as one who believes and associate his victory to God admitted that his team lost to a team that had a technical depth than his team but was  also spiritually sound.
    In separate interviews with some other players of the team, after their match against Australia, they admitted that the team lacked cohesion this time around which according to them was indeed baffling as they had all come out prepared for the match.
    The team’s ace player, Assisat Oshoala who was substituted in the game during the heat of the match told NationSports that: “God did not fail us, I guess it was over confidence on our part. We still have a lot to do to make sure we get the best point, “she said.
    The Super Falcons will play their 3rd  Group D match against USA on Tuesday in Vancouver.
  • Okon dismisses Sweden coach threat

    Okon dismisses Sweden coach threat

    …  Pinnick arrives team’s camp

    The head coach of the Super Falcons, Edwin Okon, has said he is unperturbed by Swedish coach, Pia Sundhage’s boast that her team would make a mince meat of the African champions in Monday’s FIFA Women’s World Cup match in Winnipeg, Canada.

    In a brief chat with The Nation at the Winnipeg Stadium on Sunday, Okon said, “though the Swedish coach has watched our games and she feels everything is okay and knows how to deal with our team.

    “I have said it when two elephants meet, the grass will suffer.  We are also prepared for them. Though she might have watched the tapes, but she will be in for a surprise.

    “I don’t really know them at that level, though I have watched the tape but I won’t judge the Swedish by the tape. It’s when we get to the pitch that we would know.  We will start the tournament on a good note by winning the match on Monday. ”

    Okon also denied that there were injury worries in the team’s camp, saying, “there is no injury scare in the camp, the girls are in high spirits.”

    Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, arrived Winnipeg on Sunday to cheer the Falcons ahead of Monday’s match against the Scandinavians.

  • Women’s World Cup: Falcons ready for any team – Coach

    Women’s World Cup: Falcons ready for any team – Coach

    Confident Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon, has said his team is prepared to face any team in the first round of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

    The draw for the tournament will be staged in Ottawa Saturday, africanFootball.com reports.

    “We have qualified for the World Cup and we are here for the draw. It doesn’t matter who we are drawn against, what matters is that we are prepared to face any team.

    “Don’t forget we are African champions and we hope to show the whole world the stuff we are made of as champions. We hope for a favourable draw but we are not afraid to meet any team,” africanFootball.com quoted the Falcons’ coach as saying on Saturday.

    The draw ceremony will take place at the Museum of History Ottawa-Gatineau between 12:00 – 1300 local time.

    The Falcons delegation made up of coach Okon, team administrator Ruth David and media officer Gracious Akujobi has arrived Ottawa for the draw.

  • Okon: Falcons must start preparations early

    Okon: Falcons must start preparations early

    After being grouped in Group A with hosts Namibia, Zambia, and Ivory Coast, in the forthcoming CAF Africa Women’s Championship, coach of Nigeria’s Falcons, Edwin Okon says he’s delighted with the draw.

    “It’s a very good draw and we’re in a very good group, I’m excited about it,” Okon told Brila fm.

    Nigeria, record African champions with six African women’s championship wins, will be the favorites as usual to finish top of group A, and possibly go on to win a seventh title. But Okon believes they have to prepare well for the championship.

    “We have to start preparation early, and also prepare well if we are to do well,” he said.

    The Super Falcons failed to progress beyond the semi-final at the last count, finishing an embarrassing fourth – their worst ever outing at the championship.

    They last won the tournament in 2010 in South Africa, bouncing back from a disappointing outing in Equatorial Guinea two years earlier – the first time they failed to win the biannual event.

    And expectations are high that the Nigerian ladies would have returned to winning ways by the 25th of October, in Windhoek and as a result, Okon feels they have to start with their preparations immediately.

    “We really hope we will start preparing immediately for the championship, as that is necessary for us to win the title once again,” he posited.

  • Okon thrilled despite loss

    Okon thrilled despite loss

    Super Falcons head coach Edwin Okon has praised his players despite their 1-3 loss to the Sia One Academy in a test match on Tuesday at the Practice Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.

    The Falcons are expected to confront another men’s side on the same ground on Thursday before the crunch friendly tie against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon on April 29 at the Fifa Goal Project ground in Abuja.

    Okon, who described their opponents as full grown men, said no women’s team will be able to resist his side in any competition if they are able to reproduce the form they showed against the Sia One side.

    “It was a good match. If we’re able to see one or two more matches like this before the Cameroonian side friendly my wards will be unbeatable.

    “We didn’t prepare for the quality of opposition and the men we were confronted with. I was expecting youngsters in the under-17 cadre.

    “It’s okay by me. If they’re able to match their older men’s opponents the way they did I don’t see any women opposition that can match or stop them in any competition.

    “We have another game on Thursday with a male side before we face Cameroon on Tuesday.

    “Yes, the players were impressive, I’m confident we’ll be able to raise a standard squad to face the Cameroonians as well as for the important Africa Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifying tie against the She-Amavubi of Rwanda in Kigali and Nigeria,” said the head coach of Rivers Angels to supersport.com.

    Okon disclosed that Flamingoes striker Rashidat Ajibade did not honour the late invitation handed to her to be part of Cameroonian friendly next week Tuesday.

    “FC Robo didn’t release her for the national assignment, claiming that she is writing her examination. We’ve decided to forge ahead with the players in our fold,” said Okon.

    The Falcons are using the Cameroonian friendly to prepare for the two-legged AWC qualifying matches against the Rwandans for a spot to the Namibia 2014 AWC which doubles as qualifier for the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada.

  • SUPER FALCONS TACKLE SIASIA BOYS TODAY

    SUPER FALCONS TACKLE SIASIA BOYS TODAY

    Nigeria national women team,Super Falcons will on Tuesday lock horns with Sia One Academy in a test match at the practice pitch of the FIFA Goal project in Abuja.

    The test game slated for 7 30 in the morning is one of the three games lined up to prepare the Super Falcons for the international friendly game against Cameroon on April 29 in Abuja.

    Super Falcons Chief Coach Edwin Okon, who reiterated his resolve to build a strong team that Nigerians would be proud of said he would be able to use the matches to select the squad that will face the Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon.

    He added that the friendly would enable him and his assistants the opportunity to select the final squad for the Africa Women Championship (AWC) qualifier against Rwanda next month adding “I am looking beyond Rwanda, our target is the World Cup proper”

    Meanwhile captain of the team, Evelyn Nwabuoku has commended her team mates for the way they have been responding to training even as she urged them to translate their efforts with victories over both sides respectively.

    “The new girls in camp are doing so well that I won’t be surprised if the coaches give some of them the nod to start in the game against Cameroon next week” she stated

    The team trained yesterday morning with the full complement of players who where released to go and play for the various clubs at the weekend.

  • Falcons hit camp April 6 for Rwanda

    Falcons hit camp April 6 for Rwanda

    • 40 players invited

    Super Falcons will regroup for the start of their build up to the African Women’s Championship second round qualifier against Rwanda on April 6 in Abuja, SportingLife can specially announce.

    The Falcons’ camping was halted last December when word came from the Sierra Leonean Football Federation that their senior women national team won’t be honouring the first round fixture with Nigeria owing to shortage of funds. The West Africans ought to have played the Falcons in the first round of the qualifier scheduled for late February and early March but did not.

    The acting head coach of the team, Edwin Okon has however told SportingLife that he is hoping to invite as many as 40 players to camp starting from April 6 to fight for shirts ahead of the confrontation with Rwanda on the weekend of 23-25 May and June 6-8 this year to ensure that Nigeria gets past the East Africans to the AWC proper slated for Namibia in October also this year.

    Okon revealed that he would be inviting up to that number of players so that he could get the best possible players for the Falcons for the challenges ahead, especially making meaningful impact at the AWC where the country placed fourth when it was last held two years ago in Equatorial Guinea.

    “The Falcons will enter camp for the preparation for the AWC qualifier against Rwanda on April 5 or 6 in Abuja,” Okon began in a chat with SportingLife. He continued:” I will like to invite up to 40 players and the mode will still be substitution by elimination so as to get the best for Nigerians.

    “We are not going to underrate our opponents at all. We shall start our work at qualifying from the first leg in Kigali before we wrap things up at home in the first week of June during the second leg. We want to raise a team that will be good enough to wipe off the disappointment of the last two years. We won’t stop working until we achieve our aim of assembling the best possible players for the Falcons.”

     

    Rwanda got the berth to play against the sixth time African Champions early March when they qualified on the account of away goal rule applied. Both legs had ended 2-2 but Rwanda’s solitary goal in their 1-2 loss at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos was their saving grace having beaten same Kenyan 1-0 in the first leg tie played at Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali on the 2nd March,2014.

  • Okon names 30 for Leone Queens

    Okon names 30 for Leone Queens

    Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon has named 30 players for the side’s African Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifying match against the Leone Queens of Sierra Leone on February 14 at the Abuja National Stadium.

    Those who made the list include captain, Evelyn Nwabuoke, Stella Mbachu, Ibubeleye Whyte, Ngozi Ebere, Osinachi Ohale, Ngozi Okobi, Esther Sunday, Gloria Ofoegbu, among others.

    The 30-woman squad is expected to come into camp on January 13 in Abuja for intense preparations for the first leg fixture against the West African foes.

    The 2013 Federation Cup winners, Rivers Angels contributed eight players, the Nigerian women champions, Delta Queens have five of their players named in the squad while the 2013 Federation Cup runners-up, Nasarawa Amazons, Police Machine, Ibom Queens, Pelican Stars and Sunshine Queens added two each to the list.

    Okon said he will adopt the elimination by substitution approach to arrive at the final 21-man list that will confront the Sierra Leonean side.

    “I’ve shortlisted 30 names to commence preparations for the encounter against Sierra Leone on February 14 in Abuja. The players will resume camp on January 13 but we’ll still have to prune the names to the final 21 that will face Sierra Leone. So, nobody is guaranteed a shirt except those who will be exceptional during the camping programme.

    “The normal practice will apply, that is elimination by substitution. Our intention is to prepare a side that will win convincingly here in Nigeria so as to make the second fixture in Freetown more or less a formality,” said the former Falconets coach to supersport.com.

    The 2014 African Women’s Championship will hold in Namibia and will double as qualifiers for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

    The finalists at Namibia 2014 AWC will qualify to represent the continent at the global football showpiece.

     

    Full list of the 30-woman squad

    Josephine Chukwunonye – Rivers Angels, Ibubuleye Whyte – Rivers Angels, Onyinyechi Ohadugha – Rivers Angels, Gloria Ofoegbu – Rivers Angels, Ngozi Ebere – Rivers Angels, Charity John – Rivers Angels, Evelyn Nwabuoku – Rivers Angels, Stella Mbachu – Rivers Angels, Maria Nwoko – Delta Queens, Ngozi Okobi – Delta Queens, Osinachi Ohale – Delta Queens, Jane David – Delta Queens, Oikachi Uzor – Delta Queens, Abosede Torila – Police Machine, Ayomode Ojo – Police Machine, Mariam Ibrahim – Nasarawa Amazons, Kafayat Ajani – Nasarawa Amazons, Cecilia Nku – Bayelsa Queens, Alani Aminat – Osogbo Queens, Miracle Ozubbu – Living Faith FC, Humble Nelson – Benue Queens. Gloria Ogbonna – Abia Queens, Adejoke Ejalonibu – Adamawa Queens, Edith Eduviere – Ibom Queens, Tawa Ishola – Ibom Queens, Elizabeth Zirike – Osun Babes, Blessing Edoho – Pelican Stars, Esther Sunday – Pelican Stars, Yetunde Aluko – Sunshine Queens, Tochi Oluehi – Sunshine Queens.

     

  • Falcons coach to invite 45 players to camp

    Falcons coach to invite 45 players to camp

    NAMIBIA 2014 AFRICAN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

    •Warns Falconets to take second leg seriously

     

    Acting chief coach of the Super Falcons, Edwin Okon has stated that he would invite as many as 45 players to camp in Abuja ahead of the African Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifiers against Sierra Leone slated for February next year.

    Nigeria will host the Leone Queens on February 14, 2014 in Abuja before travelling to Freetown for the return leg on the weekend of 28 February to March 2, 2014 to seek a second round ticket.

    The AWC will serve as the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which Canada is billed to host in 2015. The first three countries in Namibia, 2014 AWC will hoist the African flag in Canada.

    The Super Falcons will meet the winner of the tango between Rwanda and Kenya in May and June next year if they qualify as expected against Sierra Leone in February, 2014.

    The acting head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team told SportingLife that he would doing substitution by elimination when the camping resumes very soon.

    He also pointed out that though he would be starting with the domestic players, his doors are not shut on the foreign-based players as he tries to raise a formidable team for the country.

    “The camp for the 2014 AWC qualifier will be open soon and I have it in mind of calling up like 40 to 45 players. I will be decamping those that couldn’t measure up while I will still be on the look out for capable replacement.

    “I will start with the players I am used to but my doors are not totally closed on foreign-based players and others discovered in the Nigeria School Sports Competition, National Sports Festival and other competitions.

    “I am on the lookout for players that will be able to make Super Falcons to return to the formidable squad of old and wherever I get them doesn’t really matter to me,” Okon told SportingLife.

    Okon, who is also the head coach of Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt, has also admonished Nigeria’s U20 Women’s side, Falconets to take the second leg against the Tunisia U20 team seriously before and during their game in Tunis.

    Falconets whitewashed Tunisia 4-0 in the first leg of the FIFA U20 Women’s Qualifiers played in Abuja last Saturday through goals from Uchechi Sunday(hat-trick) and Patience Okaeme.

    Okon, who led same Falconets to the semi finals of the World Cup in Japan in 2012, warned that complacency could be the country’s undoing in the return leg if the U20 team believed they have qualified for the third round already even before the second leg is played.