Super Falcons of Nigeria have been drawn in Group B with co-hosts Australia, Canada and debutants Republic of Ireland, ahead of the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup, Completesports.com reports.
The draw took place at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.
The Falcons will open their campaign against reigning women’s Olympic champions Canada on 21 July 2023 before facing co-hosts Australia 27 July.
And on 31 July the Falcons will take on debutants Republic of Ireland in their last group game.
Recall Canada hosted the Falcons in a two-legged friendly in April this year.
The Canadians won the first meeting 2-0 before forcing the former African champions to a 2-2 draw in the second friendly game.
And the only time the Falcons faced Australia was in the group stage of the 2015 women’s World Cup which the Australians won 2-0.
Also Read: 2022 U-17 WWC:’We Were Written Off Against USA’ —Flamingos Forward, Dah-Zossu
Meanwhile, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions, Banyana Banyana of South Africa, are in Group G with Sweden, Argentina and Italy.
Zambia, who beat the Falcons 1-0 in the third-place match at this year’s women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco are in Group C alongside Costa Rica, Japan and Spain.
While hosts of this year’s WAFCON, Morocco, will battle Germany, South Korea and Colombia in Group H.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be the 9th edition of the quadrennial tournament.
Next year’s edition will be jointly hosted by Australiaand New Zealand, the first time that the FIFA Women’s World Cup will have two host nations,
It is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 20 August 2023 and will see the Women’s World Cup expanded from 24 to 32 teams.
The United States are the defending champions, having won the previous two tournaments in 2015and 2019. The Philippines, Vietnam, the Republic of Ireland, Morocco and Zambia will make their Women’s World Cup debut.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the round of 16.
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COMMENTS
Can The Super Falcons Escape Out Of Their Group At The World Cup?
The much anticipated draw for next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup has been made.
Nigeria lock horns with Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland
A tough group: Canada are superpowers and Co-hostesses Australia will undoubtedly be buoyed by massive home support. And Republic of Ireland, who currently sit above the Super Falcons in Fifa rankings, haven’t lost any of their last 5 games.
In truth, Waldrum and his ladies have their work cut out here if they are not to end up being the whipping ladies of this group.
The American gaffer has come under intolerable criticisms recently from a large swathe of Nigeria’s Fanbase and media for presiding over arguably the worst period in the history of the once sturdy Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Nigeria failed abominably in the last African Women’s Cup of Nations having left the tournament empty handed with a record number of three losses.
In fact, losing games have become more of the rule than the exception for this Super Falcons outfit having lost their last five outings.
Many stakeholders have said enough is enough and that the American gaffer and his side kick Lauren Greg must go.
Waldrum on his part have fought back fiercely stating in recent interviews that people are quick to forget the monumental tasks of defeating Ivory Coast and bitter rivals Ghana to even qualify for the 2022 Wafcon.
He went further to state that another Super Power – Cameroon – were defeated in the Wafcon semifinals to qualify for next year’s World Cup.
Waldrum maintained that his team have often produced acceptable performances and respectable results under two crucial conditions: when he had time to prepare and when he had full complement of his star players.
So, hoping these conditions will be present leading up to and during next year’s world cup, the American Gaffer is optimistic of causing upsets.
“As far as the world cup, our expectations are to make a deep run, get out of our group, you know we feel like we have the talents to do that, right now we just need time together with the team to prepare properly.” Said Waldrum.
But I remain skeptical. I feel the American gaffer is out of his depths handling the Super Falcons and has run out of ideas. I don’t think he has the imagination to pick a rabbit out of his world cup hat.
I do hope he proves me wrong though.
But I agree with him on one thing: with the calibre of players currently at Nigeria’s disposal, the Super Falcons have it in them to be party-spoilers in Australia and New Zealand next year.
But it is the tactical approach and technical injection that Waldrum brings to the party that worries me!
“But I agree with him on one thing: with the calibre of players currently at Nigeria’s disposal, the Super Falcons have it in them to be party-spoilers in Australia and New Zealand next year.
But it is the tactical approach and technical injection that Waldrum brings to the party that worries me!” A Brilliant write up once again by the legend @Deo and he couldn’t have said more about Randy Waldrum’s ability to handle the SF. I would have continued to criticize his tactics but I’m a coach myself and I would be an unprofessional to continue to do so. Anyway I’m expecting surprises from the SF come next year so let’s keep the faith and support the team for the love of our country.
Thanks Codex – you are the boss!
How I wish I were a coach, it would make me see things as clear as you do. Well done brother.
I can see a white woman (standing at the right side of the group photo). in Nigeria’s line up. Or are my eyes deceiving me? Why does Nigeria execute their games with foreign nationals and why is CAF and FIFA turning a blind eye to this? Please don’t tell me she had African ancestry. I googled her name and there is nothing African about it. It is only White people that have names like stone, Drinkwater and Plumptree. One of your goalkeepers in your men’s team is a white man. Your defenders also. Infact, half o your men’s team, including some of the blacks, are foreign nationals that you claim have African amcestry. Now you have extended it to the women team. One day CAF will wake up to your tricks
Go ahead and report with your proof to CAF, or FIFA
Otherwise stop smoking Kumasi weed, because it will completely destroy yr life
But Ghana has monkeys
Pull him down syndrome flows in the vein of most flat head people in country , if not how can you defend the name Jeffrey Schlupp as a Ghanaian name?
And is Jeffrey Schlupp an Akan or Ghanaian name? Flat head people with pull him down sydrome are too much in your country
@yeboah kudus .our noba 18 Gamero onyeka .
CAF and FIFA are not mumu like you. She presented her papers, proved her Nigerian paternity and got cleared to play for the country. I know if your FA had a prove that she was intelligible, they would have used it against us when your girls were walloped in that AWCON qualifier.
The “white” woman you talked about is like your bald headed Adam Kwarasey, I mean players of dual nationality. Check your facts, Oga.
@Yeboah Chale can’t you go and pray about the soaring and taxation Akuffo Addo has inflicted on Ghanaians or pray against the suicide happening in Ghana due to forced hardship on the nation? If this white woman stops playing for Nigeria will it solve the problems I highlighted about Ghana or help the cedis and fuel price of more than 1000naira per litres? I feel sorry on the kind of attack that is engulfed Ghana as a nation that doesn’t allow other countries to rest.
It doesn’t take much to be civil. You refer to your fellow human beings as monkeys?
To be honest I don’t expect much from Waldrum….He has had the most friendlies any falcon’s coach has ever had but doesn’t seem to have a team yet nor a clue to our weak areas or strength……..Unfortunately, he will use Nigeria to build his resume.
With waldrum still in charge, we will only be spending maximum 12 days in Australia and then we’ll be back home.
The falcons have continued to struggle under him right from day 1. We have struggled in friendlies, we struggled to beat Mali at the Aisha Buhari Cup where we were disgraced by South Africa, lost to Jamaica of all countries, struggled to a draw against Portugal and have continued to struggle in all other grade A friendlies.
We struggled to qualify for AWCON, struggled to reach the semis, came back home empty handed….like really, what miracle are Nigerians still expecting from that dude…?
It’s a given we are losing to the hosts….that’s guaranteed. We are also not defeating Canada the current Olympics defending champions. Losing to the likes of Jamaica and Zambia and drawing Portugal does give any confidence of us being able to beat Ireland.
Unfortunately this tournament is a 32 team world cup, unlike the last world cup, hence there will be nothing like 3rd bests in the groups…the only escape route we hand in 2019.
NFF should do away with this clueless Waldrum and draft both Danjuma and Olowokere to the senior team ASAP….we still have close to 10 months to get set for this world cup.
This time it’s looking like it’s better to fail with our own….LMAOoo. Apologies to the Ndi fail-with-our-own bunch.
Lmaoooooooooooooo……Honestly this man has had at least 8 grade A friendlies or mini tournaments
The Waldrum man trusts Onomonu more his wife. He’s so comfortable that we are losing. I’m not expecting much from SF at the WC
Top 2 qualify for the knockout stage. Oops Super Falcons on current form. No miracle if we expect a leopard to change its spots. I feared the most when the coach said we’ve won WAFCON a lot so we should not cry when we laid off our crown cheaply. No ambition.
Hopefully the new NFF might rejig his backroom staff.
Guys na wa oooo, we have not even kicked a ball and people are already saying we are out. Lets play 1st na. Me personally have seen improvement in this team since after the AWCON. The addition of some younger players like florence, abiodun, imran, onyedinize and demehin (apologies if i got some names wrong) only bodes well for the team. The retirement of players like ordega, chikwelu, ebi from d team is also a welcome development as i don’t see what good dia presence in the team will bring. I personally see us coming out of our group even tho we lost against canada in a recent friendly, i don’t think they are better than us. Australia just smacked SA like 4:1 recently so on paper people might think that they are better and they will be playing at home which is an added advantage but i still feel Australia won’t find it easy against the falcons. We will get something out of that game aswell. The coach just needs to adopt a 343 formation with plumptree, ohale and demeni as the back three. Then use abiodun, sunday, ayinde and onyinedize as our 4 midfielders. The forwards should be kanu, oshoala and ajibade. This team has youuth and experience, soeed, energy, skill and firepower. All those jeavy set women like vivian ikevhukwu etc should be dropped. I would even extend invitatio. To mercy idoko and amina bello instead of using those old ladies. Atleast these guys will bring speed and energy to the team not to 4get the payne sisters, alozie and the left back that played in the friendly against japan. We do have wuality players that can get 9ja out of that group in my view. We shouldn’t panic as the tournament hasn’t started and i will never write off any 9ja team. Football isn’t math as on a good day 9ja can DISTURN lol.
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