The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Falconets

  • Ahead of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets are not fully prepared, says Dedevbo

    Nigeria U-20 women coach, Peter Dedevbo admits his side is not fully prepared for the U20 Women’s World Cup which commences on November 13 in Papua New Guinea.

    Dedevbo, who left the country with 21 players for the international showpiece on Sunday, lamented their rustiness due to limited training games and poor preparation.

    “I got a lot of revelations after the friendly match against the Super Falcons,” Dedevbo told Goal.

    “It revealed to me that I have a lot of work to do in every department. At this point, I will say we have gotten 40 percent out of 100 marks. It was our first friendly against a female team.

    “But the truth is that we are not fully prepared for the tournament. I’m not feeling too well because I think my team is not fully prepared for the World Cup.

    “In 2014, we prepared very well, and I was satisfied with our preparation. We didn’t enter the camp in good time and we only got six games which are not enough to prepare a team for the World Cup.

    “We only had six weeks in camp and it is difficult hoping on luck when we did not do the right planning for the tournament.

    “It is my dream to surpass my best this time in Papua New Guinea but our preparation is not giving me enough confidence knowing the caliber of opponents we are facing at the World Cup.

    “We are hoping for the best and I trust God will do the rest. I appeal to Nigerians to pray for the team to succeed”.

    Dedevbo who led the team to finish as runners-up the last term will hope to get his side in good shape to secure a winning start at the Bava Park in Port Moresby on November 13.

  • Ahead of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets depart for Papua New Guinea

    Ahead of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup: Falconets depart for Papua New Guinea

    Nigeria’s Falconets have left the country for Papua New Guinea, a country 160km north of Australia on Monday.

    The team is placed in Group B alongside Spain, Canada and Japan and will play their first match against Japan on November, 13.

    Nigeria alongside four other countries have made it to all editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. However, the Super Falconets have lost in the finals in 2010 and 2014.

    In between, Nigeria finished fourth after losing the semi-finals to USA and the play-off to Japan. In 2002 and 2004, they were unable to make a mark in the group stages, while they were beaten in the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2008.

  • Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan women train against men for Falconets

    Japan U-20 Women’s national team  trained against Meitoku Gijuku senior high school men team on Tuesday in preparation for their first match against Nigeria in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in November.

    Takakura Asako’s ladies will also face Spain and Canada in Group B of the tournament scheduled to be hosted in Paupa New Guinea.

    Coach Takakura said that her team had to face the men’s team because of the physicality attributed to Nigeria’s ladies.

    “We had a match against men’s big team consisting of third graders from Meitoku Gijuku Senior High School. It was a tough game against a team who are bigger and quicker and charge very fast,” Takakura told Japan Press.

    “In the World Cup to be held in November in Paupa New Guinea, we need to win through against teams who are physically stronger like Nigeria, Canada and Spain. We will analyse what we’ve got out of today’s match and try to improve it.

    The ladies suffered a 6-0 defeat against the men in a test game but the team captain, Norimatsu Ruka believes that the objectives of the team were met.

    “Today I imagined the Nigeria team who we play against in the opening match of the World Cup. First, we tried not to allow the opponents to find space behind defenders with a single pass and  tried to close down once the opponents sent a pass upfront,” Norimatsu said.

  • Falconets’ll make Nigerians proud in Papua New Guinea – Ihezuo

    Falconets’ll make Nigerians proud in Papua New Guinea – Ihezuo

    Nigeria U-20 Women striker Chinwedu Ihezuo has assured that the country will not be disgraced when the FIFA U-20 Women World Cup begins in Papua New Guinea.

    Ihezuo’s goal gave the Falconets a 1-0 win against South Africa in Tembisa, which handed them a 3-1 aggregate win for their eighth appearance at the football showpiece.

    “I want to say a very big thanks to all Nigerians for their support and I promise that we will make Nigerians proud at the World Cup,” Ihezuo told Goal.

    “I feel very happy for the opportunity to help my country get the World Cup ticket. It is a great joy for me that I was involved in the qualifying series.

    “It has not been easy for us in training, the South Africans really gave us a tough time but our keeper really helped us.”

    She revealed how coach Peter Dedevbo’s strategy helped cage Basetsana before their home fans while dedicating her goal to teammate Charity Adule.

    “Coach Peter told us to first attack and we should calm down, play our game that the goals would come. And  we should make sure we score our goals in the first half,” she said.

    “I’m dedicating my goal to my family and Charity (Adule) who is celebrating her birthday. She has always been there for me, even when life was difficult.

    The 18-year-old scored six goals in the qualifying round to emerge joint top scorer alongside Ethiopia’s Loza Abera whose side failed to qualify at the expense of Ghana.

    Nigeria finished as runners-up in the 2014 edition staged in Canada after bowing in the final to Germany, and Ihezuo’s only goal of that championship came in Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat of South Korea in the group stage.

  • Falconets qualify for U-20 Women’s World Cup

    Falconets qualify for U-20 Women’s World Cup

    Nigeria’s Falconets beat their South African counterparts 1-0 in Johannesburg on Sunday to qualify for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea 3-1 on aggregate.

    Falconets won the first leg in Abuja 2-1 with leading scorer Chinwendu Ihezuo netting a brace.

    Ihezuo also struck after 16 minutes in Johannesburg to win for the Nigerian ladies.

    The Falconets reached the final game at the 2012 and 2014 FIFA World Cups but lost to Germany on both occasions.

  • W/Cup Qualifier: Falode tips Falconets to beat S/Africa

    W/Cup Qualifier: Falode tips Falconets to beat S/Africa

    National Women’s teams Co-ordinator and Chairperson of Edo Queens of Benin City, Aisha Falode, has said she is sure that the national U-20 Women’s national team,  other wise known as the Super Falconets, which narrowly lost the last World Cup final to Germany, has the capacity not only to qualify for the next World Cup but go all the way and win the trophy.

    The Nigerian side take on their South African counterparts this weekend in Johannesburg, with a 2-1 lead advantage, but Falode said going by the support the NFF has given to the team and the huge confidence that the players have exhibited she is sure that the team will come away with a win on Saturday. It’s the final round qualifier for the Junior Women’s World Cup

    “The Nigeria league system might be in some form of quandary at the moment but I know that the girls we have are ready to do the nation proud and that I know will be demonstrated on Saturday in Johannesburg. Falode revealed that as a woman, her passion for football and especially Women’s football will never waiver assuring that in due course she will be part of the process of revitalizing Nigerian women’s football.

  • Falconets to play Basetsana on Sunday

    Falconets to play Basetsana on Sunday

    The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African final qualifying match between Nigeria’s Falconets and the Basetsana of South Africa will now take place in South Africa on Sunday.

    Earlier slated for Saturday, the match has been moved at the instance of the South African Football Association, but the venue still remains the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa (outside Johannesburg), and the match will still kick off at 3pm.

    NFF Executive Committee member Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who is also Chairman of Chairmen, will lead the delegation that will be made up of 18 players and 10 technical/backroom staff.

    Falconets’ Head Coach, Peter Dedevbo, said on Wednesday that his girls are ready for the big battle, with the fixture delicately poised at 2-1 in favour of Nigeria.

    “We wanted to win big in the first leg, but it didn’t happen. Sunday is another day to look for a big win. The fact that we are playing away from home matters little to us.

    “Papua New Guinea is a destination for the Falconets next year. Nigeria has never missed any FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and we will not start now.”

    Chinwendu Ihezuo scored after the half –hour to put Nigeria ahead and the Falconets then benefitted from an own goal by a Basetsana defender in the first leg. However, a late penalty handed Basetsana a crucial away goal.

    Dedevbo added: “We will play with our hearts, with confidence and discipline. We have forgotten entirely about the first leg result, because we know we have to win in South Africa.”

  • FIFA U-20 Qualifier: Falconets walk tight rope

    FIFA U-20 Qualifier: Falconets walk tight rope

    NIGERIA’S Falconets have much to do in the return leg of their 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African final round qualifying fixture after they could only edge South Africa’s Basetsana 2-1 at the National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday.

    Top scorer Chinwendu Ihezuo put the Falconets in front on the half hour, sweeping home a brilliant pull out by fellow striker Chinaza Uchendu.

    Reigning world vice champions Falconets added a second a minute into added time of the first half, when winger Uchenna Kanu’s shot was turned in by a Basetsana defender.

    Efforts by the Falconets, who also reached the final of the FIFA finals in Germany in 2010 and have played in every edition of the U-20 World Cup since it was launched in 2002, to increase the tally in the second half did not come to fruition.

    And just as they were thinking they had a 2-0 lead into the second leg, the Basetsana earned a penalty in added time of the second period and Gabriela Salgado made no mistake from the spot.

    It means the the return leg, set for the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa, outside Johannesburg on Saturday, November 7 is delicately poised, and both teams have all to play for in the race to Papua New Guinea.

  • Falconets coach happy with victory over DR Congo

    Falconets coach happy with victory over DR Congo

    • Says team needs to work hard against South Africa

    Chief Coach of the Falconets, Peter Dedevbo has called for caution after his team humbled the visiting Democratic Republic of Congo 2-0 to sail through to the final round of the qualification for next year’s FIFA’s Women U- 20 World Cup on 4-1 goals aggregate in the match that was decided on Saturday at the main bowl of the Abuja National Stadium.

    “We are happy that we won and have moved to the final round of the FIFA’s Women’s U- 20 World Cup. My girls worked very hard in the first leg  in Congo and now in Abuja. We won’t rest on our oars until we get the qualification ticket. We are going to play against South Africa and we are aware of the fact that the South Africans are a very strong side so we won’t treat them with kid gloves.We will work very hard to emerge eventual winners and go to the World Cup” Dedevbo said.

    Falconets started on a very fast tempo with Chinwendu Ihezuo, Yetunde Adeboyejo, Chinaza Uchendu and Tessy Biahwo tormenting the Congolese from the start to the end of the match.

    Little wonder Ihezuo opened scoring as earlier as the seventh minute of the match when she sneaked through the defense line of the DR Congo team to score. The second goal was even better as Ihezuo powered pass two Congolese defenders and put the ball through after the Congolese goalkeeper Ruth Khonde had rushed out to save the ball.

    Falconets will now play against South Africa to determine which country goes through to the World Cup next year.

  • World Cup qualifier: Falconets call up 36 for Liberia

    World Cup qualifier: Falconets call up 36 for Liberia

    Ahead of next month’s 2016 FIFA U- 20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Liberia, Falconets’ coach Peter Dedevbo has invited 36 players to attend a training camp.

    As previously revealed, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Chichi Sandra and Aminat Yakubu have been named to the provisional roster.

    Joining the trio are Ugochi Emenayo, Esther Elijah, Tessy Biawho, Uchenna Kalu, Mary Ologbosere, Joy Bokiri and Rashidat Ajibade, who all starred for The Flamingoes at the FIFA Under-17s last year.

    The invited girls are to report to the team’s Serob Legacy Hotel, Abuja camp on Tuesday, 23rd June, 2015 with their training kit, medical certificate of fitness and international passport.