Super Falcons midfielder Toni Payne insists the team can earn a place in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The West Africans earned a place in the Round of 16 following a 0-0 draw against Republic of Ireland.
The Super Falcons are among the few teams yet to taste defeat in the competition after one win and two draws from their three group games.
“If we continue to play as we have and improve on each game, we can go all the way to the final,” the Sevilla star said after Monday’s game at the Brisbane Stadium.
Read Also: 2023 WWC: Shorunmu Thumbs Up Super Falcons Round Of 16 Qualification
“We are a team of wonderful and hard-working players and together we can achieve our goals.”
“We knew we were in the ‘Group of Death’, we knew it was going to be hard, but we also knew it was not going to be impossible to qualify from it.
“The objective was to qualify and we did that today.”
The Super Falcons finished in second position in Group B behind co-hosts Australia.
Randy Waldrum’s side will take on the first-place team in Group D in the Round of 16 at the Brisbane Stadium next week Monday.
23 Comments
I really love the confidence
But looking at the performances
So far am not sure of final place
Dear Payne.
You are not sure? Nigerians are sure. Africans are sure and heaven of all principalities are sure. Let us all be sure. God bless the falcons, God bless Nigeria.
Over excitement when they should have avoided England, you want to get to final and you finish second in your group LMAO. My country where they hate truth!!!
If you want to win a trophy, you must play the best team to get to the final. Moses passed through the red sea, not through the bridge. The walls of Jericho gave way, and Jordan was driven back for the Israelites to get to Canaan. SF are good. Divine intervention, we plead.
As a fellow believer I love how you used the bible to Favor your argument but it you also forgot the parable of the 10 virgins because Wisdom exceeds waiting for a miracle.
The route they took is better in the long run if they can beat England. Japan, Spain and France are in the other bracket. If Australia and Nigeria play their cards well, they would be opponents in the semi finals. Moreover, they would still remain in Brisbane after the next round too.
Nigerians are a very strange people – Too many hate the truth and will attack anyone who is bold and fearless enough to speak the truth – this is why they remain in squalor and continue being taken advantage of, running around in mindless circles
At the same time – we also must believe in God and have faith that miracles do happen – with God on our side no one can be against us – this however applies to the whole of humanity, not just us- so it is who applies the principles the best that comes out on top – therefore we must not be wise in our own eyes but strive for balance – this goodness is not only for the Jew but also the gentile – The Creator displays balance in all He does, it’s only Nigerians who do not recognise the importance of balance
God admonishes us to be harmless like sheep but wise like serpents – Think about that, everyone knows the serpent is bad right? yet it has a quality that is desirable to sheep according to the perfection of wisdom – what greater example of a need for understanding and balance do we need?
Think about it and what it really means – Many on here and in Nigeria have it all wrong – Think they’re too wise even though they are blind and are very quick to attack those who are at least “TRYING” to identify the wood for the trees – They place beggaring and sucking up to the so called “senior people” – rich men, politicians, big names, people they are afraid of etc etc over the application of truth, Justice, honesty and integrity – this will never work, we are our own worst enemies – the truth is never given any chance to develop in Nigeria, I even doubt if many can actually identify truth even if it knocks them upside of their heads – Instead they will be attacking and throwing stones at things that are good for them and can emancipate them in the long run if only they would give it a chance.
No matter how “holier than thou” your attitude is or how wise you think you are – know this, we are not saved by works but by grace – if you do not know and apply the truth, you will never have equilibrium = balance and you will remain in bondage – Only the truth can set you free..
Yes Toni, it is possible for the team to earn a place in the final and even win it but we are far away from that outcome simply because of the dearth of truth and abject stupidity and decadence which plagues our society.
You will soon see boneheads like sean etc etc now come and spew their bile here – a very good example of the lack of intelligence ruining Nigerian society – people who quote the Bible without having the foggiest idea of the implication of what they are quoting smh.
God bless Nigeria and help us somehow!
Currently watching England vs China and to be honest, it is a tall order for you guys to beat this English team, though I earnestly hope for it. You guys are poor in shooting and poor in possession and ball recovery. This English team I am watching now do not fluff opportunities. They are precise and excellent.
It must be said, though, that China are a poor team. Nigeria also can dispatch them 3-0 in 90 minutes. My only worry is our conversation rate. We need a clinical finisher in the mould of Osimhen or Yekini. Fast, ferocious, and half chance taker. Time to pull up another World Cup upset.
*goal conversion rate.
….and these abilities flow out of them naturally like a spring or a punctured aquifer.
But we, we struggle with so much hard work before we can fashion out 1 decent chance….even if we eventually will not take it. Getting the ball into our opponents 18 yard box often takes all the strength and talent the girls can muster. While the coach’s tactics is majorly to blame (as this has been evident since he took over, we even struggled against Mali in the Aisha Buhari Cup), the level of football intelligence of the players too seems to be a tad lower than required for the level of competition. Only Devine grace will see us through against England.
Something tells me, Nigeria super Falcons will be the team to qualify for the quarter final. Different opposition produce different results. But there is something about this Falcons team. There is a part of their game still breeding and yet reeling. We saw a brief of that after Australia scored first. LET’S JUST WAIT TILL MONDAY AND NOT GET BOTHERED ABOUT ENGLAND BEATING CHINA OR WHOEVER BY 10-0.Aaaaaaaaawwwuuuuurrraaaa.
Guy, England has only lost once in the last 36 matches oh. Yes, we are currently unbeaten in 7 games but China they just thrashed is ranked 14th in the world. Monday is still far but my mind no settle… 3 goals only in 4½ hours of football no too show efficiency for goal oh.
@ Sly I understand your concerns but I have watched this England team and have been following this team all through becoming Europe champs.
They are not as compact as they were winning that Europe championship. Take Lauren James out and they become blunt. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying they are a bad team either but I see many weaknesses in the team that can result to victory for SF, if only we can do at least these 4 things;
1) Be at our fittest BEST; here I strongly suspect Oshoala is hiding some injuries, because what she is giving, is way below her supremely gifted standard. On her day, Oshoala is Osimene’s female version, a never relenting warrior. But this aspect about her is so frustratingly missing.
2) Be solid and aggressive not with leg contacts, which draws out a card but body weight, more like getting really gritty and tenacious, here Uchebe, Ayinde, Onumunu, Kanu, Plumtre must be made to rise up to that challenge or bring on those ready in their place .
3) The most important and kinda my main concern for Falcon; be first to meet second balls almost every moment, that comes with 100% alertness, and quickness of foot off the ground. Here besides Payne and Alozie, all other players need to lift it up.
4) Be deliberate in working out a planned attacking movement to score goals and doing that clinically for almost every of such chances. The coaching crew has till Monday to work out this in training going into the game.
These girls has it in them to beat England and any other team. It’s all down to them.
Agreed and all I will add to that is that we can not, must not start with Oshoala!
This is absolutely crucial! – Nobody left in this tournament is playing games, these teams, your England’s, Australia’s, Japan’s are literally only like one step (1) removed from the level men’s football is being played these days, so for us to have ANY chance at all, we must stop kidding ourselves and stop putting our hope in Oshoala, whatever reason they’ve been playing her for has not worked -it sure has not been for her football (striker) skills that one’s for sure, I mean sorry to say but even her touch on the ball is poor, she never tackles and is absolutely no presence in games, the chances of her scoring a goal are so remote that I can only see it through a fortunate mistake by our opponents or an act of God – even the ball over the top that some point to, she has been absolutely ineffective for, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, playing Oshoala, we might as well just line up with 10 players and not 11
I mean just look at any of the other strikers/forwards in the other teams and Oshoala is not even in that conversation based on what we’ve seen so far – who are we going to compare her to? is it Russo? or Kerr or any of the Japanese forwards or who please I ask? It’s not even a joke so let’s not be playing
Oshoala must firmly be on the bench regardless of what happens and I would strongly suggest a 3-5-2 formation and make sure that both Kanu and that teenager who was red carded previously start – Waldrum must be very pro active and react to these games on a minute to minute basis and be ready with his subs at any time in the games – Everyone must be ready to put in a shift – they need to all take a leaf out of people like Kanu, Payne and the youngsters page, believe in themselves, don’t take shit from anybody- opponent and referee alike and protest every unfair or BS call whether it results in it being changed or not – let these crackers see that we are no longer sleeping and fully believe in and will stand for our own rights as well.
All these things have to come together in our performances for us to stand any chance at all but believe it or not – I would really fancy our chances if all these things come together simply because we would by so doing be leveling out the playing field more and closing cheat doors and so the rest will mostly be based on individual tenacity and mentality and I back our girls to trump any of these other girls in that area.
My own 2 cents…
No be Kanu na Kano. The same Kanu that was tamed and render ineffective against Australia. Asisat is the major reason why Kanu showed up in the last game.
Keep hating, baring injury concerns, no sane coach will pick Kanu over Asisat.
Get ready to worsen your anger and hatred issues because Asisat remains the special one in current set-up.
Nigeria midfield and forward players:
Midfield:
Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe,
Toni Payne, Deborah Abiodun, Rasheedat Ajibade, Jennifer Echegini
Forward:
Asisat Oshoala, Uchenna Kanu, Ifeoma Onumonu, Desire Oparanozie, Esther Okoronkwo
Who can really displace Oshoala in the above list?
@Larry, all these your jingoistic comments against Kanu will not be tolerated. You even call her Kano. You have now been revealed as a Tribalist. If you ever comment here again with your sectarianism, we will deal with you mercilessly. Kanu is far better than Oshoala.
@Barry abi larry
I am not hating but you are moronic and myopic – complete fool
Anyone who rates Asisat as a striker based on what we’ve seen this tournament so far deserves to be lined up and put out of their misery to make the world a better place.
Keep on ranting – the asylum is full of animals like you
Iseju melo laja fi gbebu? papapa ni! Were
The coach needs to get his tactics right and make the right selection. That’s all we need to beat England. And even if England will beat us, it won’t be that easy. He should drop Osoala. Start Onumomu and Monday Gift. Their addition in the second half added a lot of urgency and mobility to SFs attack. We tend to sit back and invite opponents to dictate the pace. Anytime we resort to play offensively, we always look like scoring. Why sit back all day, relying on counter attacks that Osoala more often than not wastes. We are our own enemies in this competition and until we take the initiative in the final third, we will always be at the receiving ends in matches.
Papafem,
Wo thank you ojare!
Please help me answer this question bro – how come some cannot see this??
I am Yoruba to my core yet that mumu larry is accusing me of being tribalistic because I said not to start Oshoala – Abeg my bro is that not madness? How can I be tribalistic against my own sister? Is it possible?? I mean there is no helping some people O!
@ online Funeral, i was hoping for a reasonable conversation but your attitude is just too gross and disrespectful.
No need to type in Yoruba because only a bastard will take that bait. The World knows the people that lack decorum and always stoop so low to unleash their uncultured mannerism when a simple logic is expected.
Peace!
You are an idiot – what a tool!
I blame your upbringing and lack of education – Were, saying he wanted a reasonable conversation by accusing the other party of being a hater?…lool!
She you can see your own life by yourself now abi?
Please read what you just put again and then ask your self if you are in your right mind?
You call me a hater and then say you were hoping for a conversation. chaii! what a lost soul!
I repeat – you sir are a compound fool! Take it to the bank – MUMU