The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SUPER FALCONS

  • Falcons hopeful despite 0-1 loss to S/Africa

    The Super Falcon on Sunday failed to win their opening match in the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Ghana as the defending champion lost by 1-0 to South Africa in the group stage encounter.

    The Nigerian representatives could only be positive after that particular encounter, that all is not lost in the quest not only to defend the title they have won eight times but also to remain the reigning queen of the round leather game in the continent.

    The match was a hard knot to loose for the resilient Falcons players as they could not record a single shot at goal either at the half or at the second half.

    The match ended goalless at the end of the first 45 minute. The second half resumed without much ado but the deadlock was broken at the 85th minutes by Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jermaine Seoposenwe with a through ball.

    Nigeria

    4-2-3-1
    		 0 – 1 South Africa

    4-2-3-1
    Women’s African Cup of Nations
    • Possession
      55.0%
      55.0%45.0%
      		 45.0%
      Duels success rate
      45.7%
      45.7%54.3%
      		 54.3%
      Aerial duels won
      50.0%
      50.0%50.0%
      		 50.0%
      Interceptions
      18
      1819
      		 19
      Offsides
      1
      14
      		 4
      Corners
      3
      31
      		 1

     

  • Assisat buys Multi Million Naira house for parents

    * thanks God for good fortune

    Super Falcons ace and African footballer of the year Assisat Oshoala is in thanks giving mood after successfully acquiring a two story building for her parents in the Costrain Area of Lagos state.

    The Dalian Quanjian F.C.of China ace who described herself as a “Small Girl with a big God” thanked God for the feat achieved; a gift which a close pal said has taken the parents of the former Arsenal ace to cloud 9.

    Assisat who was reported to have demanded that the fashionable jersey lunched at the Russia 2018 World cup be equally showcased by the Super Falcons had captioned his post announcing the purchase of the house thus;

    “Small girl Big God ��…Alhamdulilah, parent first”

    Oshoala found success as a forward for Nigeria’s youth teams but made most of her early appearances for the senior national team as an attacking midfielder. She was nicknamed “Seedorf” after male footballer Clarence Seedorf and has also been referred to as “Superzee” by her teammates.

    She was named best player and with seven goals was also the top goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She was named best player and second top goalscorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women’s Championship claiming  BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2015.

    In September 2014 Oshoala was made a Member of the Order of the Niger by President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan. On 8 June 2015 in Winnipeg, Canada, Oshoala opened her senior FIFA Women’s World Cup account by scoring Nigeria’s second goal in a 3–3 draw with Sweden.

    The former Robo Fc and Rivers Angels star made a surprise move to Chinese club Dalian Quanjian F.C. in February 2017 from Arsenal Ladies. Some die-hard female football lovers who spoke to The Nation  on her achievements so far said she has a lot of prospect adding that her case should ginger parents to encourage and support their female children in whatever career they chose in life as “you never can say where the needed liberation from poverty will come from”

    Oshoala can be said to be completely af home in China with Nigerian legion led by Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel also China based.

    Others plying their trade in China include Odion Ighalo who was tongue lashed by many fans for wasting begging chances in the tie against Argentina at the world cup, Obafemi Martins ( Shanghai Shenhua).Anthony Ujah (Liaoning Whowin),Brown Ideye (Tianjin Teda).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Super Falcons qualify for 11th AWCON Finals

     

    • Wallop Gambia 6-0

    Super Falcons have  sealed their qualifiers for the 11th Africa Women Cup of Nations finals with an emphatic 6-0 victory over the Scorpions of Cambia at the Agege Stadium on Monday.

    Four goals from Nigeria international, Desire Oparanozie and a brace from Asissat  Oshoala gave the Falcons a comfortable victory to defend their title in Ghana later in the year.

    Head coach, Thomas Dennerby opted for an attacking line that produced two goals in the first half and four goals in the second half.

    The first goal was a spot kick that was converted by Desire three minutes into the match, Assist scored the second goal in the 22nd minutes.

    Desire also made it early when the second 45 minutes resumed as she hit again 6 minutes into the half, Oshoala registered her second half 10minutes after to increase the tally to four. Rampaging Desire added two more goals before the end 90 minutes.

    Though there was no Most Valuable Players for the match as none was announced, Super Falcons performance was however described by some as impressive but with room for more tactical discipline.

    “They are always African Champions. Today’s match is a testimony to that. But I think they still need to improve to be fit for a world cup test” said  Mike Maiyaki, a sport analyst with SuperbSport

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Rohr’s final selections will make the country proud-Izilein

    Former Super Falcons’ coach Godwin Izilein has said that Nigeria’s national team coach, Gernot Rohr picked the best players that would make the country proud at the World Cup in Russia.

    Izilein gave the assurance while speaking with the News men on Monday in Benin.

    According to him, the team has had the best of preparation and played quality friendly matches, adding that what the team needs now is prayers.

    “As for the players picked by the coach and comments over his selections, I quite commend the coach for appearing not ruffled by the comments.

    “Rohr’s critics may not see why the coach picked those he picked.

    “He knows what he wants and if he feels those he picked will give him what he wants, let’s wish him the best,” he said.

    Read Also: Upgrade Eaglets to U-20 team – Izilein

    Speaking on the Super Eagles friendly match with England, Izilein said he was not disturbed with the outcome of the game.

    The former Super Falcons tactician noted that those that spied on the Eagles tactical play would have been disappointed.

    “Our opponents came in there to pick one or two things about the eagles to prepare their team against us, but I am happy that they saw nothing.

    “They are still wondering if this is the team they will be playing against.

    “To me, I am happy about the outcome. The Eagles will surprise the world in Russia; I am very convinced that the Eagles will do well at the World Cup,” Izilein said.

    It will be recalled that Rohr on Sunday released the final names of 23 players that will represent Nigeria at the World Cup.

    NAN

  • Dike, Chikwelu in, Oshoala out of Falcons, France friendly

    Courtney Dike makes a return to the Super Falcons team as African Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala did not make the 17-man squad for the April 6 friendly against France.

    A statement on the NFF’s website says the eight time African champions will be up against their French counterparts at the Stade MMArena in the city of Le Mans, France.

    The list which includes few home based players has Rita Chikwelu, who captained the team to win an eighth continental title in Cameroon in December 2016, as well as forward Desire Oparanozie.

    Francisca Ordega, midfielder Ngozi Okobi and home based goalkeepers Onyinyechukwu Okeke and Chiamaka Nnadozie also made the list.

    U.S based forward Courtney Dike and Ordega would be first arrivals in Le Mans on April 3, the same day the delegation from Nigeria will depart from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The Super Falcons will lodge at the Mercure Le Mans Centre.

    THE FULL LIST
    Goalkeepers: Onyinyechukwu Okeke; Chiamaka Nnadozie
    Defenders : Josephine Chukwunonye; Ngozi Ebere; Faith Ikidi; Ugo Njoku; Osinachi Ohale; Glory Ogbonna
    Midfielders: Rita Chikwelu; Ngozi Okobi; Ini-Abasi Umotong; Ogonna Chukwudi
    Forwards: Francisca Ordega; Desire Oparanozie; Courtney Dike; Esther Sunday; Anam Imo

  • Super Falcons drop one place in FIFA ranking

     

    *Remain No 1 in Africa

    The Nation’s female football team the Super Falcons went a step down in the latest FIFA ranking released Friday to occupy the 38th position.  Falcons were in the 37th position as at the last ranking but have been edged out of the 37th position by Argentina. Despite the slip however the Falcons remained the highest ranked African country and the only African country in the top 50.

    United States are ranked number one followed by the Lionesses of England who only recently engaged former Manchester United ace Phil Neville as coach replacing former coach Mark Sampson.

    Germany, Canada, France, Australia, Netherlands, Brazil, Sweden and Korea DPR complete the top 10 countries in that order.

    The United States’ team  were unbeaten as they won this month’s sheBelieves Cup on home soil, while Germany failed to register a single victory at the annual invitational tournament in which Nigerian born England international

    Eniola Aluko left out.

    Super Falcons only recently got a new Swedish coach Thomas Dennerby after the Nigeria Football Federation opted not to renew the contract of former international Florence Omagbemi.

    Dennerby, a former coach of Sweden Women’s national team, coached the Sweden senior team between 2005 and 2012, during which the team played at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and the 2007 and 2011 FIFA World Cup finals, winning bronze at the latter tournament. He began his assignment with the Super Falcons with the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) tournament where the team finished in the 3rd place claiming the Bronze.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • FIFA Rates Super Falcons World 37th Best Team

    FIFA Rates Super Falcons World 37th Best Team

    Super Falcons
    Super Falcons [Image: Getty images]
    World football governing body, FIFA has released its end-of-year international ranking for Women National Teams and the Super Falcons of Nigerian occupied the top-ranked team in Africa.

    The Super Falcons in the latest global ranking dropped two spots and now occupy the 37th position.
    Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa complete the top five teams behind the Super Falcons in Africa in that order.
    Nigeria’s possible opponents at the 2018 African Women Cup of Nations qualifiers Burkina Faso were not ranked because they have been inactive for more than eighteen months, while the Gambia was not listed.
    The United States of America maintained their top spot at the summit, followed by Germany, England, Australia and Canada.
    The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking will be published on 23 March 2018.

    Top Ten African Teams (Women’s Ranking)

    1) Nigeria
    2) Ghana
    3) Cameroon
    4) Equatorial Guinea
    5) South Africa
    6) Egypt
    7) Mali
    8) Zimbabwe
    9) Ethiopia
    10) Zambia

  • NFF Hides Identity of Super Falcons’ Foreign Coach

    NFF Hides Identity of Super Falcons’ Foreign Coach

    The coaching job for the female national team-Super Falcons’- has now been seeded to a foreign coach, this, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s President, Amaju Pinnick has revealed.
    The foreign coach whose identity has not been revealed would be in Nigeria to sign a job contract by the first week of December.
    Since Florence Omagbemi’s contract was terminated as the Super Falcons’ Coach, the senior female national team side has been without a coach.
    Pinnick who spoke recently in Lagos explained that the federation has gone all the way to get the foreign coach hopefully to give the Super Falcons all the best in order to succeed just like the Super Eagles.
    He said, “Today we are happy to achieve new development. Within the next 10 days, a contract will be signed for a foreign coach who is coming to Nigeria by next week for the Super Falcons job.
    But who is the new coach? All hands are crossed as the glasshouse appeared not to let the cat out of the bag yet.
    Meanwhile, Pinnick has dismissed reports that the NFF have long abandoned the Super Falcons, stating they are very much as important as the Super Eagles.
    “At a point the Super Eagles were our focus, it doesn’t mean we neglected the Super Falcons. The same thing we have done for the Super Eagles is the same thing we will do for the Super Falcons.
    “We are tired of making our presence only at the World Cup, we want to win the women’s World Cup. Other African countries are catching up with us. Ghana, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea. We need to tell them we are still the giants of Africa in women’s football.”
    “I remember Shehu Dikko came to me and said we must make sure we look for money. We must make sure we interface with the government in making sure we don’t owe the players anything, forget that the players earn huge salaries, they have responsibilities in Nigeria.
    “They see what is going on and they don’t want to be part of failures after their playing days we must encourage them. And of course we interfaced with the government and thankfully they responded from A to Z,” the federation’s president said.
    He added: “Please the Super Falcons should know that we have not neglected them. At that point, we needed to focus on what to bring joy to Nigerians and that’s what we did.
    So they should forgive us, they are our children, they are our wards, we are happy we have a beautiful relation with them  but stay tuned for the Super Falcons.”

  • Super Falcons coach Florence Omagbemi ‘son’ killed in Warri

    The head coach of African Women Nations Cup winning team, Super Falcons’ Florence Omagbemi is crying foul, following the killing of her 15-year old ‘son’, Samson O. Atamako, a JSS 3 student of Challenge International School, kolokolo, Udu road in Warri, Delta State.
    Atamako and his friend, Darlington Taire, also a student of the school, were said to have been killed by a yet to be identified person on Monday shortly after they completed their JSS 3 examination.
    Atamako and Taire were allegedly lured into Golden Tulip hotel, along PTI Junction, Effurun, by some of their teachers under the pretence of celebrating the smooth conclusion of their JSS 3 examination.
    “Nobody in my family was aware of such arrangement between the school and my son,” Omagbemi lamented in a chat from her base in the United States of America on Thursday.
    “The lifeless body of my son and his friend were thrown into the hotel swimming pool with bruises all over their body. Somebody must have killed them.”
    Speaking further, Coach Omagbemi who led the Falcons to capture the 10th AFCON title in December last year, beating their host, Lionesses of Cameroun 1-0 in front of their home crowd in Yaounde said: “I was told that the school sent the students to different schools for the JSS 3 examination without the knowledge of their parents or guardians. While the examination was going on, one of their teachers was said to have asked the students to contribute N500 each for the purpose of the celebration in a hotel.
    “As I said, nobody in my family was aware of such plan. Now, the teacher is nowhere to be found, and the policemen at Ebrumede Police Station are not doing anything to bring the killers of my son to book. I am in great pain right now.”
    Coach Omagbemi hinted that she took the boy (Samson O. Atamako) as her son saying: “I took him as my son because the mother, who is my elder sister, died when Samson was very young. He did not know any other person except me as his mother. I want the police authority in Nigeria to help me fish out the killers of my son.”
    Omagbemi’s elder brother, Henry Omagbemi said in a separate interview on Thursday that the entire family was still in shock over the killing of the boy.
    He called on Delta State Police Commissioner and officers of Ebrumede Police Station in Warri to act fast by bringing the killers of Atamako and his friend, Darlington Taire to book.
  • FG pays protesting Falcons, Super Eagles bonuses

    FG pays protesting Falcons, Super Eagles bonuses

    The Federal Government has released more than a million dollars to cover outstanding entitlements for the country’s football teams including the women’s team whose members protested at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

    According to an official statement, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation has released $1,173,820.00 to pay outstanding win bonus for the Super Eagles in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and for the Super Falcons participation at the 10th Women’s Africa Nations Cup in Cameroon.

    The female players carried placards with various inscriptions demanding they be paid their entitlements and have vowed not to release the trophy they won in Cameroon until they are paid.

    The ladies are holed up at their Abuja hotel since they returned to Nigeria from Cameroon in protest over the non-payment of their entitlements despite reassurances from top officials including the country’s Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung.

    Super Eagles, africanFootball.com reports will also be paid a win bonus of $5,000-a-player for the victories against Zambia and Algeria in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

    Nigeria leads the qualifying group for Russia 2018 on six points from two matches.

    Cameroon lies second with two points, while both Zambia and Algeria have a point each.