The Nigeria Football Federation have lined up 10 international friendlies for the Super Falcons ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals Completesports.com.
According to thenff.com the reigning African Women’s Cup Of Nations champions will take part in a four–Nation Invitational Tournament in China from the 17th –20th January.
Hosts China, Romania and Korea Republic are the other teams taking part in the four–day invitational.
The nine time AWCON champions will also participe in the Cyprus Women’s Cup from the 25th February to the 7th of March 2019.
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, North Korea, Mexico, Slovakia, South Africa and Thailand are the other nations taking part.
After the 12–Nation Invitational Tournament in Cyprus, the Super Falcons will either play Spain or Canada before a final training camp in Austria that could also take in two tune–up games.
Thomas Dernneby’s side will be camped at the same Avita Hotel and Resort in Bad Tatzmannsdorf in Austria, where the Super Eagles stayed before flying to Russia to participate in last year’s FIFA World Cup finals.
The report also revealed that players and officials of the Super Falcons were at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja for visa processing ahead of the four–Nation Invitational Tournament in China.
The team is expected to fly out of Nigeria to China next Monday.
Nigeria, the only African country to have featured in all previous editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched in China in 1991, will tackle host nation France, Korea Republic and Norway in Group A of this summer’s finals.
The Super Falcons will open their account in France against Norway, at the 21,000 –capacity Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims on 8th June, before matches against Korea Republic in Grenoble on 12th June and against hosts France in Rennes on 17th June.
The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will hold 7th June – 7th July this year, with France up against Korea Republic in the opening match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 7th June.
COMMENTS
Let the battle begin
‘Super’ Falcons just got trounced 3-0 by China in the first friendly today. Why is CSN not reporting it since it ended 3pm Nigerian time? Should NFF still continue to stick with Dernerby or revert now to Omagbemi or Okon?
Dernerby has simply brought down the profile and quality of the Falcons. The team was walloped 8-0 by France in the coach’s first match. In the WAFU female competition and AWCON 2018, the team practically limped and struggled to the final and was outplayed by Cameroun and SA.
The CAF Awards used to be dominated by Falcons, but this year SA stole the show, winning the Woman Player of the Year and Woman coach of the year awards. Derneby is not inspiring confidence. If Pinnick and NFF needs to do something about the team’s coaching before the Women FIFA World cup in June, now’s the time. It seems Derneby doesn’t understand the African skills set enough to know how to utilize them well.