The Super Falcons will seek victory over World Cup co-hosts New Zealand in Turkey on Tuesday (today) to prove that their recent wins over Costa Rica and Haiti were no flukes, says team captain Onome Ebi.
Goals by Esther Okoronkwo and Asisat Oshoala steered the nine-time African champions past Haiti in Antalya on Thursday, for a second consecutive win on the road. This came after the 1-0 defeat of Costa Rica at the Revelation Cup Tournament in Mexico, the goal also coming off the boot of Esther Okoronkwo.
“We have to maintain the form that we have attained over the past two matches,” Ebi told thenff.com moments after the team’s last training session at the Emir Sports Complex on Sunday. “It is important for us to keep up the momentum, to keep winning and know that we can always overwhelm our opponents. The spirit is back and we are determined to sustain it.”
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Tuesday’s clash against New Zealand will take place at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya, as from 4pm Turkish time (2pm Nigeria time).
Ebi, who has played in five FIFA World Cup finals (USA 2003, China 2007, Germany 2011, Canada 2015 and France 2019) will be making her sixth appearance at football’s top table for women when the Falcons take on co-hosts Australia, Canada and Republic of Ireland in Melbourne and Brisbane this summer.
“We suffered a poor patch for some months but we are happy to start winning again. The hard job is to sustain the winning streak and we’re ready to do that hard work.”
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Anyone with a link?
New Zealand has lost 5 of their last 5 matches being walloped 5-0 in like 3 of that and the Falcons are currently struggling with them. I don’t think it’ll be watching their world cup. I don’t want to have any false high expectations………
Correction* they played 1-1 with Iceland to finally get a point in their last game after 5 losses……..Sper falcons are up 1-0 now
They are now 2-nil up.
Sometimes it’s good to acknowledge improvement where you see one.
New Zealand are ranked 25th. Super falcons 40th or so.
Nigeria has found a gem in d #3, that babe is awesome. Young, athletic, energetic, skillful and covers every blade of grass. Where has dis gurl been all dis while. If dis is d only tin waldrope does for 9ja him don try. I am so in awe with her play. Alhoug ebi scored, she is still a liability in y view. There is no pace and her decision making has slowed, she almost gifted the gurls from new Zealand a clear chance but for a brilliant save by Nnadizie. Imran is a good player but needs to always shoulder check when she is tracking back, she defebds well but a skilled player will take advantage of her as she is always ball watching instead of keeping an eye on her marker, she could be eadiky sneaked on. Ahibade is gerself, always giving 110%. Oshoaka acts too big for dis team, not sure why? But she is definitely needed in dis team tho but she needs to check her attitude at d door if this team will make any noise at d worldcup. I still think dis team needs dat onyenideze (i missed d spelling of her name). She and the #3 in our midfield with ucheibe will be great to see. Good game by d falcons, you can definutely see improvement albeit its been against weaker oppositions. Just y opinnion.
Nigeria 3 new zealand 0. Desuree Oparanozie with d 3rd goal
I was a little bit inpatient at first, but it was an ok game…….New Zealand is not a strong team though but kudos to them. You guys should watch the Ireland vs USA highlights and you will understand Ireland will be no pushovers and forget that crap ranking in women’s football…. We should be above NZ.
Impatient*****
That was extremely disappointing and very scary to realise the level our girls are playing at currently – Has this got something to do with the coaching set up now or the general motivation? And how can the New Zealish team be ranked higher than the Falcons?? Who does that ranking system? That person needs to get their eyes and football knowledge checked ASAP –
New Zealand were absolute rubbish and I will not give the Falcons any credit for winning that game 3 nil because they might as well have been playing a kindergarten football team because the NZ team was just a sorry excuse for a football team
I didn’t like what I have just seen and having seen teams like England, France, the USA and some other women’s teams, our girls have absolutely no chance of getting anything at the world cup – Imagine – if this team comes up against England ehn hmm I will personally guarantee anyone that the scoreline will be anything from 7-nil upwards! Believe me, if they get away with 5- nil then it will be a miracle!
Having said that, we have a couple of very good players in that team, maybe a little more than a couple – T Payne is a star!, there are a couple, one who is like a winger/forward with locks and 2 of the defenders are also quite good, the goalkeeper is actually not bad but there is no cohesion and the coaching and management is non existent!
Finally, I keep saying – where is the other Payne sister? There were 2 of them in this team, where is the other Payne sister who played as a forward? and Oshoala is so bad, it’s a shame – that girl is far from impressive in so many ways, haba, her football is the worst! Very unreliable as well – limping straight off and not even waiting to be subbed off? What kind of thing is that? And why do people like to treat Nigerians different? And why do we never stand up and speak up for ourselves??? The amount of wrong calls against and actual fouls which were given the other way in that game was mind blowing!
Menh I rest my case joor!
I beg to disagree on your comment about Oshoala.She has being bedeviled by series of injuries and has just started catching up herself.
Besides this is just a friendly match and she has champions league double header to play very soon.She did her beat seeing that this is the first time she is actually playing with the team for awhile.
Well, those are my views based on what I saw and have seen recently from that team – I appreciate that you see certain things differently but that is the essence of blogs – we are all fans but also different and must be expected to support the same teams but see certain things differently – I stand fully on my opinion on Oshoala – whether you like it or not, clearly you see that in a different light to me and that is allowed – For me, she is not a good footballer but a better person, all the good she does is well noted and she is big on charity and charitable efforts (in case some did not even know that) however I am only talking about what I have seen from her in football – to look at her trajectory from when she burst onto the scene as a very powerful, maybe not the most skilful but a powerful runner with pace, intelligence and all the God given attributes to be a deadly striker – it is disappointing for me to see what she has done with her gifting, what she has achieved and what player she is today, I don’t know if it’s a mentality issue but we see that sor of thing in many Africans on the world stage – not just in Nigeria, they have weak mentalities and do not have nearly enough fight and self belief regardless of how gifted they happen to be – look at those who represented us in the past – the Okocha’s and Kanu’s, Oba Martins, Ikpeba’s Finidi’s, T West (Preacher man) Yekini, Amokachi (Da Bull),Yakubu, Oliseh and the Great Keshi! (RIP)- stars in other sports like Dick Tiger, Kid Bassey, Thunder Balogun, Chioma Ajunwa, Innocent Egbunike, Nojeem Maiyegun, Enefiok Udo-obong I can go on and on – these people in most cases did not een have the added advantage of all the trappings of modern advancement which these our sports people of today have yet they were unstoppabe world forces in their respective fields and made names for themselves that will survive forever! Our sports people of today especially the footballers are a weak shadow and representation of our former glories and it is a mentality thing first and foremost – It is a crying shame and I will not go as far as placing the blame solely on them because I would be naive to think that – It also has a lot to do with the system – what our system, our nation has become – A hugely watered down version of our former glory because of the political thieves ruining the country and who have been doing so right from the get go – Is it them we want to speak about? Who today can be compared to our passed greats like Awolowo, Azikiwe, Gowon? – who today has even a drop of these great men’s integrity, honor, intelligence and intentional application for the great good of what was once fit to be a called Our Nation and a source of pride for countless millions?? Where is the country today? Who is the country today? What is the country today? Does what is left even qualify to be called a country? Are there any good people left? Nay is there ONE good person (In any position of power) left today???
Bro, I hear you but I will never agree with anyone who tries to defend any of our examples today! If you are here defending mediocrity the I am afraid that you are also a part of the problem
The Super Falcons are beginning to jell and purposeful in their approach to matches. They are looking more businesslike and enterprising upfront too.
Hopefully they will climax during the World Cup and become a real dark horse in our group and the World Cup in general.
Also the team for the mundial is taking shape.
You could see that they are determined to do well after the the serial loses for the past months .
For me the only missing and known players in this squad this time are Ohale and Onumonu.
And any late revelation before the team list is submitted to FIFA.