The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SUPER FALCONS

  • 10th Women African Cup of Nations: Bring Falcons’ issues to my table, Dalung advises NFF

    10th Women African Cup of Nations: Bring Falcons’ issues to my table, Dalung advises NFF

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has advised the Senior National women’s football team, Super Falcons, to avoid distractions as they kicked off their defence on Sunday a with 6-0 victory over Mali in the African Women Champions.

    In the same vein, Dalung implored officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to bring to his knowledge, any
    challenge facing the team.

    He said: “We have not received any memo over challenges they are facing now, still I believe they must have been
    disappointed by their funding, some of these things happened when you must have set the tools ready, some of the sponsors could have shown you a sponsorship and say come for the money today, so you plan because of what you have, so the little you put on ground once it is exhausted you have these challenges coming.”

    He added: “They shouldn’t be distracted by their challenges they are facing, things are not good in the country but of course we will always stand by them, we will always support them and the government will definitely come to their rescue, so that we retain the glory they have maintained for us over seven or eight times”.

    It would be recalled that before the Super Falcons left the country, there were some reports that the team was not
    supported financially and the players who could not make the list to Cameroon were given 10,000 Naira for their camping allowance.
    Barrister Dalung further expressed his confidence in the Super Falcons as he stated: “We are with them in prayer, we are convinced that they will soar.”

  • AWCON 2016: Oshoala nets four goals as Nigeria pounds Mali 6-0

    AWCON 2016: Oshoala nets four goals as Nigeria pounds Mali 6-0

    Arsenal Ladies’ striker, Asisat Oshoala was in superb form for the Super Falcons after scoring four goals to help Nigeria start its title defence of the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) with a 6-0 drubbing against Mali at the Stade Municipal de Limbe yesterday. Francisca Ordega and Uchechi Sunday got in among the goals.
    Head coach of the African champions, Florence Omagbemi, named a start list without Desire Oparanozie with Sunday preferred upfront alongside Arsenal Ladies striker, Oshoala. Faith Ikidi, Onome Ebi, Ordega, Halimatu Ayinde and Captain Rita Chikwelu completed Nigeria’s list of overseas-based team.
    Mali head coach, Oumar Guindo, listed three of the four France-based players in his 11 for this game. Dejnaba Baradji, Sebe Coulibaly and Aissatou Diadhiou were the France-based trio that started.
    Seven minutes into the game, Uchechi Sunday’s knockdown played Oshoala through on goal but the Arsenal Ladies forward applied a first heavy touch and allowed the ball to bubble out of play to the relief of Mali stopper Samake Goundo.
    On 15 minutes, Oshoala’s cutback into Mali’s box was met by Washington Spirit forward, Ordega, whose effort was blocked before FC Minsk midfielder Halimat Ayinde dragged her attempt off target.
    However, Goundo could not stop Ordega from passing the ball into the bottom corner from a low cross to give Nigeria a deserved one-nil lead.
    Mali’s only threat in the game came from one of their France-based stars, Baradji though the Nigerian backline anchored by Onome Ebi kept her in check.
    Five minutes before the break, Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead. The Malians made a meal of a clearance and Osarenoma Igbinovia picked out Oshoala who skipped past Mali’s custodian to score.
    Less than two minutes into the restart, a poor challenge by Sacko on Igbinovia gifted Nigeria spot kick and South Korea-based striker, Sunday, calmly side-footed the ball past a despairing Malian goalkeeper for the third goal to the championship.
    Nigeria went four goals up on 64 minutes through Oshoala. A through-ball from the back freed up the Arsenal Ladies forward, who beat her Malian marker, Oumou Tangara for pace before rounding Goundo and then calmly picked her spot to score her second of the afternoon.
    Four minutes later, the Arsenal Ladies striker’s pace was again too much to cope for the Malian defence and she effortlessly slotted in Nigeria’s fifth of the game and her hat-trick.

  • 10th Women’s African Cup of Nations kicks off today .As Super Falcons meet Mali on Sunday

    10th Women’s African Cup of Nations kicks off today .As Super Falcons meet Mali on Sunday

     

    The opening ceremony of the 10th Women’s African Cup of Nations will take place today as host Cameroon and Egypt lock horns in the first game at the Yaounde Stadium.

     

    However, the tournament’s defending champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will battle their

    Malian counterpart on Sunday at the Limbe Stadium. The Falcons who have won the

    championship for a record seven times are placed in Group B with Ghana, Mali and Kenya. A

    total of eight teams will play in the tournament.

     

    Meanwhile, the initial dates of the championship were October 8 to 22 2016, but were

    changed due to weather considerations. In the same vein, on 6 August 2015, the CAF

    Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Women’s

    Championship to the Africa Women Cup of Nations, similar to the men’s version.

  • Cynthia Uwak survives ghastly motor accident, counts blessings

    Cynthia Uwak survives ghastly motor accident, counts blessings

    Former Super Falcons forward and two time African Women footballer of the year, Cynthia Uwak is counting her blessings after surviving a ghastly motor accident.

    The Akwa Ibom-born striker who currently plies her trade in Finland took to her Instagram page to share the photo of the ugly accident showing a badly damaged SUV turned upside down and badly snatched in the course of the incident. The post was however silent on the exact spot where the incident took place.

    uwak
    Cynthia Uwak #12 of Nigeria and Marta of Brazil compete for the ball during the Women’s First Round Group F match between Nigeria and Brazil at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

    The 30 year old Åland United of Finland forward followed the photo with a heart touching submission appreciating God on one hand and expressing pity for those who say that there is no God on the other.

    “It is only a FOOL that says there is no God! Sometimes all you have to do is offer him Thanksgiving, take a moment stop complaining and start thanking Him, I survived that without a SCRATCH YES NO SINGLE SCRATCH! I Am Walking Testimony….”she enthused.

    Uwak known for her outspokenness while in the national team it will be recalled took a swipe at those who chose to generalise about women football and lesbianism.

    “Saying that female footballers are lesbians is rather pathetic, you can’t just label people based on assumptions,” she had said when the debate took the centre stage in Nigeria.

    Uwak who was impressive for Åland United on September 24 scoring a goal in the 68th minute as the side defeated Pallokissat 2-1 at home in the Naisten Liiga, however endured the pain of defeat three weeks later when her team suffered a 7-1 demolition in the hands of 4th placed HJK at the  Sonera Stadium (Helsinki).

    Uwak has been with Åland United since 2013.

  • Cameroon 2016: Pinnick pumps up Falcons’ spirit as team departs

    Cameroon 2016: Pinnick pumps up Falcons’ spirit as team departs

    Hours before the Super Falcons departure for Cameroon to defend the Women Africa Cup of Nations title, NFF President Amaju Pinnick was at the team’s camp to offer words of motivation and encouragement.

     Pinnick told the reigning African champions that the federation is fully behind them and that they are as important as any other National Team.

     “We are totally behind you and we cherish you as much as we cherish all other teams, and we are always proud about all you have achieved which remains a record in the continent of Africa. We are hopeful that you will remain the champions of Africa after the finals in Cameroon.

     “I want to assure you that we respect you and will do all we can to meet your needs in spite of the financial challenges we have presently. We do not take you for granted. We will always treat you as the champions that you are and hopefully, our financial situation will improve very soon and we will be able to practically demonstrate how much we treasure you.”

     President Pinnick then prayed with the ladies and reiterated that the Federation has great plans for them and Nigeria women football going forward.

     The NFF President’s visit was one of numerous morale –boosting visits by the Nigerian authorities to the Super Falcons, with the country’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo also visiting the ladies and promising Government support and encouragement penultimate Tuesday.

    Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has been to the Falcons’ training twice, stating that he is very confident they can bring home the Cup to Nigeria from Cameroon.

    The Women Africa Cup of Nations will take place 19th November – 3rd December 2016.

    A contingent of 21 players and officials flew out of Abuja to Lagos on Wednesday morning, and then traveled from Lagos to Douala by ASKY Airline flight on Wednesday afternoon.

    The players include: Ibubeleye Whyte, Gladys Akpa, Faith Ikidi, Rita Chikwelu, Ngozi Ebere, Esther Sunday, Alaba Jonathan, Osarenoma Igbinovia, Ijeoma Obi, Halimatu Ayinde, Ugo Njoku, Uchechi Sunday, Gloria Iroka, Osinachi Ohale, Ngozi Okobi, Onome Ebi, Desire Oparanozie, Francisca Ordega, Asisat Oshoala, Rita Akarekor, Chioma Wogu 

  • Izilein warns against appointing foreign coach

    Izilein warns against appointing foreign coach

    A former coach of the Super Falcons, Godwin Izilein, on Wednesday in Benin warned against appointing a foreign coach for the Super Eagles for now.

    Izilein told the newsmen that the senior national male football team may not qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a result of this.

    “This is because the foreign handler will not have quality time to know the players and their mentality,’’ he said.

    Izilein, also a former coach of the Golden Eaglets, said appointing a foreign coach was equally an unnecessary waste of fund and shows lack of respect for Nigerian coaches.

    “I don’t know what this rush for a foreign coach is all about, when we do not have time on our hands for the qualification games for Russia 2018.

    “The national football authorities must understand that a coach who knows his onions needs not less than a year to know the players and their mentality.

    “He will then need also another year to put a good team in place.

    “And, again, I consider the amount that will be wasted on hiring a foreign coach as unnecessary, especially against the background of the consistent lamentation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of paucity of funds.

    “It also shows lack of respect for Nigerian coaches because I believe that we have quality coaches with high technical ability to manage the Eagles well and even ensure their qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

    “Should they (NFF) be in doubt of the abilities of a particular coach, I will suggest that NFF engages the best three to four indigenous coaches to handle affairs of the team.

    “This suggestion is based on the fact that the three coaches cannot all make mistakes at the same time. Where one is deficient, the other will come in handy,’’ he said.

    Izilein added that what the indigenous coaches needed to perform optimally was an environment devoid of any undue interference and the right motivation.

    “If you provide for the indigenous coach the same environment and motivation provided for the foreign one, he will definitely perform,’’ he said.

     

     

  • Ex- Falcons coach Izilien cries for help

    Ex- Falcons coach Izilien cries for help

    Godwin Izilien, Super Falcons coach, who led the team to African Women Championship glory in South Africa, in 2004, has appealed to Federal Government to reward the technical crew.

    Izilien made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Benin.

    He said that he and his coaching crew were still being owed salary arrears of over 28, 750 dollars, explaining that he had 12,000 dollars of the amount.

    “I have written several letters to concerned authorities without a single reply; I am suffering after being neglected by the football authority.

    “To think that I agreed to handle all female national teams at a time of crisis without asking for extra remuneration, and to be treated in this manner is not encouraging for the growth of the game.

    “I did it out of patriotism, but all I am asking for is I and my crew members’ entitlements from the 2004 AWC in South Africa amounting to 28,750 dollars.

    “We were promised payments on arrival in Nigeria after the championship but till date nobody has said anything about that money,’’ he said.

    The coach recalled that the players ‘’stayed back after in South Africa the championship insisting on getting their bonuses after the football authority reneged to fulfill its promise of paying all entitlements after the competition.

    “After being left behind by the Federal Government delegation, I stayed back with my players until the Nigeria Consulate intervened by paying the players’ entitlements.’’

    “I understand where this is coming from, because nobody gave us any chance before our departure for that championship.

    “Being the first coach to have won gold at the National Sports Festival in 1999, I took some of those winning players and went and conquered in South Africa.

    “It is only fair that government should have appreciated our efforts. I am only using this medium to appeal to the President to include us in his package of rewarding excellence and fulfilling Federal Government’s promise to my crew,’’ he added.

  • AAG: Sack notice affected Falcons – Danjuma

    AAG: Sack notice affected Falcons – Danjuma

    Super Falcons Coach, Chris Danjuma, has admitted the news of his sack regardless of how the team perform at the women’s football event of the All Africa Games, had an adverse effect on the girls.

    The Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, had said a foreign coach would be employed for team in order to improve its performance, africanFootball.com reports.

    The news scuttled the euphoria in the Super Falcons camp in Congo after starting the competition with an impressive 5-1 victory over hosts Congo in the opening match.

    “I am human. Even though we are professionals, we still have emotions. We come out every day to give our best to make a name for ourselves and make our country proud. But while we are yet on this we hear the news back home and whether you like it or not these things affect us because we are human. We did know anymore what to think because we were under pressure,” he told africanFootball.com.

  • Super Falcons aim for third AAG Gold

    Super Falcons aim for third AAG Gold

    NIGERIA women’s team, the Super Falcons, will confront hosts Congo in the opening game of the All Africa Games in Brazzaville today.

    The Super Falcons have won the All Africa Games football gold twice, in 2003 and 2007, beating South Africa in both finals 1-0, 4-0 respectively.They will be hoping to win their third top prize in Congo.

    Congo, on the other hand, are minnows in women’s football and will be looking forward to upset the coach Christopher Danjuma-led team.

  • Female World Cup: USA defeat Nigeria

    Female World Cup: USA defeat Nigeria

    The Super Falcons of Nigeria have been defeated by the United State of America at the ongoing FIFA Women World Cup in Canada.

    The United States team won the Group D 3rd leg match against Nigeria after securing a goal just at the end of the first half of the crucial match.