Super Falcons Head Coach Thomas Dennerby says the Nigeria’s senior women football team will not only advance from the group stage of the World Cup in France, but will work hard at reaching a new height in the tournament billed for July, Completesports.com reports.
“We know we are in a very tough group that comprises the host nation France, Norway and Korea. They are all ahead of Nigeria in women football by FIFA ranking. But ranking does not count when it comes to a competitive match. The Super Falcons will try to hold their own against them,” Dennerby said.
“It is true that we have been performing below expectation, but I must tell you, the team is improving very well. Some of the players have not been training day to day because their clubs are either on break or for some other reasons. I am not bothered about the team now because we are improving everyday.
“We are working really hard to achieve success at the World Cup and I have seen that the players were improving with every game we played against different teams in our buildup so far.
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“We shall try to make it to the knockout stages of the World Cup and see how far we can go.”
Asked about the program he has for the team before the World Cup in France, Dennerby said the invitational tournaments the team participated in recently in China and Cyprus were part of the program, adding that there will be more games, as well as local and overseas camping before the tournament.
On the possibility of strenghening the squad, the Swede assured that he would call up new players who can add value to the team irrespective of their ages.
“We want the best for the Super Falcons and any player that fits into what we are planning for the team will get the nod,” Dennerby said.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
12 Comments
_Rohr vs Dennerby_
Almost 9 months to today, Super Eagles were preparing for our first World Cup match against Argentina.
Ahead of that match, coach Rohr was quoted on this platform as saying :
“If you look at the FIFA rankings we are the lowest ranked team and by that we are supposed to finish last in reference to ranking.
That’s why we are hungry, we stay modest but remain ambitious.
This shows we are ready to get a result tomorrow.”
In exactly similar situation as the men’s team last year, coach Dennerby, according to the article above, said:“We know we are in a very tough group that comprises the host nation France, Norway and Korea.
They are all ahead of Nigeria in women football by FIFA ranking. But ranking does not count when it comes to a competitive match.
The Super Falcons will try to hold their own against them,” Dennerby said.
Rohr went to last World Cup overcoming former Afcon champions to qualify while Dennerby qualified by winning the women’s Afcon.
Now Dennerby finds himself in the same junction that Rohr found himself 9 months ago.
What’s it going to be?
Both coaches are very similar in style as they both favour the 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, this formation failed Rohr when it mattered the most only for him to revert to the 3-5-2 formation that served him well against Argentina in a pre-world cup friendly but failed him against the same team with less that 5 minutes to glory at the World Cup in Russia – with Iheanacho and Ighalo most culpable.
Now we have another world cup in our hands.
Whereas Rohr and Dennerby have a lot in common going to this tournament, I hope (and pray) they have a lot less in common in they way of how our ladies perform in France.
CORRECTION
**First World Cup match against Croatia**
Deo give out the first warning now we are beginning to man up great.
This coach should be ‘humble’ like coach Rohr. He should rather say his girls are ‘young’ and are not favourites to advance from the group stage…
Hahaha my Young Eagles yet South Gate went with young England to semi final…. who excuse help young man go and try this rubbish talk of young in Madrid you go get sack letter…. All we want is results if no results fireeee burn you!
Are you comparing English stars with super eagles stats ? Don’t be silly
Young man stop talking from your Anus what makes them star at the same young age and makes you opposite of star at same young age??? This is why you fail at any given assignment silly you rather change your mentality you are here making excuses or would I say inferiority terminology. Black man thinking
You are a bloody clown. Can you compare the age grade system in England with that of Nigeria ? Don’t be daft. How many Nigerian clubs have academies ?
I really don’t have time when a coach wins age grade competition against this same European team we belittle such achievement and after that we go ahead and call them overage but when they get to senior team we go back to call them young and make this excuse for them as failure. Let’s be real here people who make excuses for failure are failures take it or leave isn’t it clear that you guys have serious problems with all the excuse and all sort???
The truth is, this man has gained my respect. Even of he doesn’t achieve his target, I will still hold him in high esteem because his girls will not go down without a fight.
dernneby should modest like rohr. and said his team is not favourite and his team is young. A “VILLAIN” SPOTTED
_Doing Well The Target_
I am loving the vibe coming from Coach Dennerby who, in my view, is saying (and doing) all the right things ahead of the Women’s World Cup in June.
Although no one expects the Falcons to win the tournament – something that will be wishful thinking – Dennerby has again come out to imply that his ladies will be no pushovers in France.
I particularly like his sound-bite of ‘to compete, not participate’.
According to footballville.ng, the 59 year old Swede said: “what we are doing now is to follow our programs judiciously and we are working hard to ensure we achieve 100% of what we map out to do before the world cup.
My mission in France is to compete and not to participate, so doing well will be my target”. Dennerby said.
With this sort of spirit from the gaffer, I am starting to dream of possibilities in France. 🙂