Super Falcons and Shanghai Shenhua Ladies forward in the Chinese Women’s Super League Francisca Ordegah has expressed optimism that the Nigeria’ senior women team will bounce from recent setbacks to continue domination in Africa and beyond, Completesports.com reports.
Reacting to the inability of Super Falcons to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Ordega says it was a very painful experience losing to Ivory Coast on the away goals rule after a 1-1 aggregate scores, adding that it was a day things simply did not work out as planned.
“I have heard and read people blaming our exit on crisis and infighting in our tram, but I want to state it clearly here that there is no crisis in Super Falcons. We are united and it is not true that infighting and crisis in camp caused us our Olympic Games ticket. It is not true, we lost because we failed to score in Lagos. On a good day, we should have beaten the ivorians hands down,” Ordega said.
“Our interim coach Chris Danjuma told us what to do to win the game after a goalless draw in Abidjan, but tried as we did to get the needed win, it was not to be and we crashed out.
“He is a good and very hard working coach, but on that day we failed to deliver. The change in captaincy did not divide the team as being speculated. It was just one of those days when nothing works for you.”
On the removal of Head of women football development, Ruth David, after the Super Falcons ousting by Cote d’Ivoire, Ordega says it is unfair to blame her for the team’s exit from the Olympic Games qualifiers adding that Ruth was like a mother to the girls whom she is very close to.
“She is strict, but jovial with the players and officials. A very detailed and passionate woman who wants the best for our country. She borrowed money from friends and relatives to pay us our outstanding allowances to avoid a planned protest during the pre World Cup camp in Austria. This was about the second or third time she had saved the country such national embarrassment from players,” Ordega said.
“Nobody can say she under paid or collected gratification from any player or officials. I will miss her now that she has been removed and I pray that her removal will not be counter productive.”
Ordega assures that the Super Falcons will bounce back stronger pointing out that the Olympic Games setback will be used as a motivation to retain the Women’s Africa Africa Cup of Nations title next year.
“We will go out to appease our fans and Nigerians by qualifying with ease and going ahead to retain the trophy we won in Ghana last year,” she concluded.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
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COMMENTS
This ball doesn’t look like it’s ever gonna bounce again talkless of bouncing back. Too many leaks. Just maybe proper patching will help or maybe an entirely new ball will do.