Super Falcons head coach Thomas Dennerby says the team proved to the world at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France that the Nigerian ladies are improving and can get better with the rich talents that abound back home, Completesports.com reports.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria reached the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup finals for the first time in 20 years but were sent packing by two-time champions, Germany, who won their France 2019 Round of 16 clash 3-0 on Saturday.
Nigeria first reached the knockout stage of the women’s World Cup in the 1999 edition hosted by the USA. Brazil defeated the Super Falcons 4-3 via golden goal in the quarter-finals of the then 16-team tournament.
Germany eased out the Nigerian team at the 2019 edition in France, but Dennerby believes Nigeria have enough talent to hone a great team for the future tournaments.
Germany Captain Alexandra nodded in the curtain-raiser off a corner-kick in the 20th minute. Sara Daebritz doubled their lead from a spot-kick in the 27th minute – her third goal of the tournament, while Lea Schueller took advantage of Falcons’ defensive howler in the 82nd minute to score the third goal.
“I think we showed the whole world that Nigeria have a team that has improved a lot. Of course you’re not satisfied to go out but you also have to recognise where we came from – and we’re just not ready yet,” Dennerby stated during the post-match press conference.
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“It’s important to play high-level teams like Germany because the players can see that even the smallest mistakes get punished. But the second half was really good and now we just need to focus on improving and using all the FIFA dates to play matches. Because we have some really talented players back in Nigeria.”
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“It’s important to play high-level teams like Germany because the players can see that even the smallest mistakes get punished. But the second half was really good and now we just need to focus on improving and using all the FIFA dates to play matches. Because we have some really talented players back in Nigeria.”
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This is an important message to the NFF. If they like, they should give Denerby a 1 year leave….let the players wander away….forget about improving the womens league and gather the team together again 1 month before the Olympics to come and play friendlies against USA and expect miracles to happen.
Oga Denerby you don try jare, you are not a magician….but you also shot yourself in the foot by going to the world cup with just 5 defenders, a lean midfield and an avalanche of strikers only to get to the WC and play an ultra defensive brand of football.
Dropping the likes of Umotong and Dike for the likes of ihezuo and ogebe was the beginning of your failure….these were the players who could have replaced your misfiring captain who only played 4 or 5 league games the whole of last season and was clearly unfit to play 4 games at the world cup.
I hope you get lucky enough to be retained by this FA and not get frustrated when the team is sent on a 1 year holiday as usual.
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Let me look for trouble small.
@ Omo9ja…wia art thou. U r no longer commented on Denerby postings…? If na before you will be 1st to coming here and praising him, even wen the news no be about Denerby. Now there’s news about Denerby you Ben Johnson. E b like say you no prouding of him again o. Shai shai diaris god too.
God bless Denerby, God bless Nigeria.
Ire o..!
Lolz
You don kill me
You said it all, Dennerby really messed up , his selection was totally faulty and he should take the blame for the team failure!!
The other day I stated categorically, that the Falcons are not ready for this world cup and every said i was pessimistic. After the first game with Norway, I knew the team was light weighted without substance.
I criticised Oparanozie and Oshola who happen to be our “best legs” supposedly and it was like I was over reactionary.
My pain is not the exit, but our style of play. Very negative approach to game. To get even a shot on goal for a whole 90mins is a battle.
Heavy and weighty strikers without football sense or clue.
A team without a potent striking force, no midfield, a porous defence who do not take corrections.
If this is the best we have, then its a shame.
In my last post I warned them against the “police style of ball – shooting aimlessly into the air to who knows? They never listened! Sometimes I wonder what d coaching crew tells them. The guys just sit there collecting tax payers money and do nothing.
Even a sport lover sitting at home could see what was glaringly wrong with the team.
They can’t even marshal a single pass or built up a game from the defence to the midfield to attack, just shooting up.
My dear that won’t work at the world cup.
Dennerby said its a much improved side. Its quite laughable! this is the worse of the teams display i have ever watch.
We would have allowed Chile to qualify instead of wasting the spot.
Well and good!.the only match I saw zeal was the France game.
It seems the girls came to the German game with an already defeated mindset and began to defend from blast of the whistle.
If u ask me he Germans did not play any thing
I watch the game.
Let’s hope and pray for the Cameroonians with who has a bite of football sense with them.
Nigerians and NFF know what to do , to get it right , but corruption will never allow he right people get the nod for competitions.
See the just concluded under 20boys who looked 35 &40yrs.
NFF CONTINUE
U HEAR,
MAKE U NA CONTINUE,
DERIS GOD.
AKPEYI SUPER EAGLE’S NO 1. HAHAHAHAHA
HIS GODFATHER IS VERY STRONG.
AM WAITING FOR THE NEXT BLUNDER THAT WILL SEND SUPER EAGLES HOME.
AKPEYI NO 1 ON HE GOAL POST AND ENZEWA ON THE BENCH?
OUR BEST KEEPER REMAINS ENZENWA…
I WILL BE BACK HERE TO HAVE MY SAY
EVEN IF THEY HAVE THEIR WAY.
NFF U NA WELL DONE OOOO
Thanks for this sincere writeup. Anybody who does not understand you should go and watch the playing pattern of the super eagles under Clemense Westerhof.
This Dennerby set. A much improved team? This is not true please. A team that only managed a win and three clear losses in a tournament cannot be said to be improved. Creating real chances and scoring goals became really a big problem for the team. The team was below average. I think it is time EFCC started investigating imposition of players on coaches. This appears to be the reason why we have not been able to field our best in football tournaments!
The coach is correct. In the last World Cup (2015) Nigeria did not win a single game and have not advanced to the knockout stage for /0 years (2009). The last game the Super Falcons won at the World Cup was in 2011 (8 years ago). They only managed a draw and two losses in the last World Cup.
So yes, this World Cup campaign was the best in 20 years (an improvement on the past 19 years).
Our World Cup stats are
Played 26, won 4, drew 3 lost 19 games
The falcons played 3-3 against Sweden in the last world cup and we know that Sweden is one of the powerhouse in Female football. This team coached by Dennerby only managed to score two goals in 4 matches! Don’t forget that one of the two goals was an own goal counted against South Korea.
Ever since Dennerby became Falcons coach, the team has found it difficult to score goals. He continues to play excessive defensive football; even against African teams, he does the same thing, he plays defensive. This is even against African oppositions for goodness sake!
With all his ultra defensive game, his team still ended up conceding as much as 7 goals in the world cup. I do not consider that a progress. He has come to change the shape of the Nigerian team and how they play. To achieve his defensive aim he even resort to playing the girls out of position and using players that we all can see are not fit or good enough to be in the first team. Yes! People will say he brought organization to the team,But at what expense? Under Dennerby Falcons has found it difficult to beat teams like Cameroun and South Africa in 90 minutes. It has now become a game of penalty before Nigeria can now beat female teams from Africa because of the defensive minded approach of Dennerby.
Even Cameroun in this world cup scored more goals than Nigeria and it took a lot of luck before we got to the 2nd round. What I call progress is when a new coach comes to a team, he adjusts or reorganizes the team in such a way that the team is able to do better in areas they are good and to correct all lapses that were their bane before his arrival. That is what Guardiola and Klop have done in Liverpool and Man. city. I expect nothing less from Dennerby!