- 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.
Tag: SUPER FALCONS
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WWC: We did not play to Okon’s instructions – Falcons
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FIFA Women’s World CUP: Australia shocks Nigeria
The Super Falcons of Nigeria have been defeated by Australia at the second match of the Group B game in Canada.
The Falcons were defeated by two goals to nil at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Australian team first saw the back of the Falcons’ net at about 37 minutes into the first half of the game and added another one during the second half caused by defensive error.
The Super Falcons will be playing against the United States of America in the next Group B match.
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World Cup: Dede promises improved performance against Australia
Super Falcons goalkeeper, Precious Dede, has reassured Nigerians that they would see improved defending from the team in Friday’s second group match against Australia.
The Falcons defence gave away two cheap goals in the game against Sweden, failing to deal decisively with most of the set pieces against the team, africanFootball.com reports.
Dede, 35, who is one of the very experienced players in the Super Falcons, was caught napping on several occasions in the game against Sweden.
“We know the first half didn’t go well and we made some mistakes. But we were determined to correct those mistakes and that is why we came out fighting in the second half,” she told africanFootball.com in Canada.
“I can assure you that in our next game you would not see those mistakes again because we would go and watch the tapes and correct them.”
The United States leads the group after defeating Australia 3-1 in both nations’ first game.
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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.
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Super Falcons thrash Mali 8-0
Nigeria’s senior female football team, Super Falcons, on Friday in Abuja, thrashed their Malian counterparts 8 – 0 in the final round return leg of the All African Games (AAG), qualifiers.
The Falcons has, therefore, secured a place at the AAG 2015 scheduled for Congo Brazzaville in September.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fans were thrilled by the performance of their darling team at the Abuja National Stadium.
The match started on a fast note with the Nigerian side dictating the pace as Desire Oparanozie opened scoring three minutes into the game.
The visitors fired a shot through Binta Diarra in the 12th minute but Falcon’s goalkeeper Ibubeleye Whyte thwarted that effort.
In the 19th minute, Francisa Ordega gave the African Champions the second goal through a header from a corner-kick taken by Ngozi Okobi.
London-based Asisat Oshoala scored the third goal in the 39th minute after many unsuccessful attempts.
Oparanozie got a brace one minute before the end of first half through a smooth pass from Oshoala.
Few seconds into the second-half, a rampaging Oshoala netted another goal through a low shot that left Malian goalkeeper Samake Goundo frustrated.
In the 62nd minute, Ordega scored another goal after receiving a pass from Halimat Ayinde.
The seventh goal came from the boot of the Captain of the team, Evelyn Nwabuoku, after a well taken corner-kick by Esther Sunday.
Sunday was compensated in the 72nd minute when she scored the eighth goal for the Super Falcons.
NAN recalls that the first leg of the match ended in a 1-1 draw in Bamako a fortnight ago.
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FIFA WORLD RANKING: Super Falcons are 33rd
• World Cup opponents, USA, others in top 10
Super Falcons of Nigeria have dropped to the 33rd position in the latest FIFA ranking released yesterday. The Africa champions dropped one place from 32 but remained the best African team.
Germany retained its number one spot while all the African teams dropped points except for South Africa’s Banyana Banyana and Madagascar that were non-movers.
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup expected to commence in 70 days time in Canada, Nigeria will play against three nations that have been ranked in the top 10 of Women’s football.
A glance at the respective strengths of the World Cup groups reveals that Group D, which contains the USA (2nd), Australia (10th), Sweden (5th) and Nigeria (33rd), is the strongest on paper with an average ranking of 12.5, while Group C, with Japan (4th), Switzerland (19th), Cameroon (53rd) and Ecuador (48th), is the weakest (31).
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Super Falcons resume training
Nigeria women senior team, Super Falcons returned to the country Monday after they were forced to a 1-1 draw by Mali in their All Africa Games final qualifier in Bamako last Saturday.
The team arrived Abuja aboard Ethiopia Air and drove straight to their hotel and Coach Edwin Okon gave the players Tuesday off to loosen up.
The team returned to training on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile Okon has expressed the optimism that the team will win the return leg very well to book the AAG ticket and plan ahead for the Olympic qualifiers against the same Malian team.
“We have taken notes of our flaws in the first leg and we are going straight to work on those errors so that we do not repeat them again. I am confident that we shall beat Mali very well in Abuja to qualify,” he stated.
The return leg comes up in Abuja on the weekend of April 10-12.
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NFF set World Cup target for Super Falcons
Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, Emmanuel Ikpeme, has charged the Super Falcons to make sure they qualify for the knock-out stages of the FIFA World Cup in Canada.
Speaking during his official welcome of the team to camp for their upcoming qualifiers, Ikpeme congratulated them for winning the Africa Women Championship (AWC), adding that they should extend their dominance to the world stage.
“You must work hard by your actions, conduct and utterances. It is not impossible to go beyond the group stages; it is football we are talking about. You can go to Canada and become an upstart and scatter all earlier permutations and make a statement to the whole world.
“It is not a question of coach inviting you to camp and you just come here and struggle to make the team to the World Cup and them you go there and just relax.
“You girls must go beyond the group stage at the World Cup. It’s not a question of playing friendly matches where you win by big margins, your ultimate goal is to go to Canada and exceed all expectations.
“You must come out of that group D. I want you guys to tell Nigerians that you are not only champions of Africa, but can conquer the world. Your ultimate goal is to go to Canada, qualify from your group and ultimately surpass any earlier record,” he told thenff.com.
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Super Falcons get Mali
Mali will be the Super Falcons’ opponents in the final round of qualifiers for the Women’s Football Tournament of the 11th All-Africa Games, following the withdrawal of Gabon.
Nigeria’s Falcons, champions of Africa, have returned to camp in Abuja at the weekend and will also be preparing for the qualifiers of the Women’s Football Tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games, against the same Malians, as well as the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Canada this summer.
The first leg of the qualifying fixture will take place in Bamako on March 22.
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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.