Nigeria’s Super Falcons have progressed into the Paris 2024 final qualifying round after a 1-0 win against Cameroon in Abuja on Monday.
The Falcons went into the second leg of the third round tie needing a win after holding Cameroon to a goalless draw in the reverse fixture in Douala.
Esther Okoronkwo was the hero as her 14th minute strike was enough to send the Falcons through.
The last time the Falcons faced Cameroon in the qualifiers for the Olympics was in the race for the London 2012 games.
After the first leg ended 2-1 in favour of the Falcons, the Cameroonians also won the second leg 2-1 before going on to win on penalty shootout and qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
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The Falcons are seeking a first Olympic appearance since Beijing 2008 games.
They will face the winner between South Africa and Tanzania in the final qualifying round.
The South Africans won the first leg 3-0 away and are heavily fancied to go through.
29 Comments
Falcon need to camp for a week before playing the next game how nff wil do it is left for dem to grind out .. dey can’t face South Africa with 3 days tràining .
They merely survived the Cameroonian today.
You have said it all. The era of gong ho approach is completely over. They will be underdogs against South Africa and it will be extremely difficult one.
They look extremely clumsy and unorganized. Why are they always like this in qualifying series? They didn’t look like a team who have been together for years. They need to put their house in order before facing SA. The Bayana Bayana team o saw against Tanzania are suoer cohesive, smouth and sweet to watch.
Sorry, did you watch the 1st half of that game…? Because this description of yours aptly fits the period immediately after Oshoala and Uchenna Kanu came on in the 2nd half.
If you disagree with me, the full game would probably be on YouTube soonest.
If Mr Waldrum ever wants to succeed, he should look beyond Assisat leading the SF attack henceforth.
I saw Okoronkwo, Echegini and Ajibade do things I’ve never seen the SF do since Waldrum was employed.
Now I understand why we played our best games at the World Cup when the “Big Girls” started from the bench.
Be as it may, congrats and better luck to the SF. The last time we got to the final rounds of Olympics qualifiers was in 2012.
I am pretty optimistic we will take very good care of the Banyanas when we eventually meet them.
Bro, I actually joined in the second half, and what I saw was what I reported in that post. I noticed in the matches we played against CIV and Ghana n the qualifying matches for the last WAFCON. It was really scrappy, clumsy and highly mechanical. It’s been like this for some time. I just didn’t feel the team, even though we won. I have some hope if you say the first half was better. But come on, I do feel the coach can do better.
Papafem,
What you noticed in the second half was the Super Falcons responding to the nature of game being played against them.
In the first leg, Cameroon were more tactical which brought out the polish on the Super Falcons game.
Today they just needed to guard their 1 goal with their lives which they did. No time for romantic football.
Well done girls.
But before you can beat South Africa, you need to up your games.
I watched the game live in abuja and I can report that it was a very physical, brutal and bruising game.We lost two players with nasty injuries .Demehim and Esther.Curiously the referee allowed the Cameroun rough play till the 90th minutes before showing their player a red card for a rough play on Nnadozie.Only Abiodun, Ohale, Alozie, Plumtre and Nnadozie refused to be rawed by the Cameron girls physicality and rough play.
The first half went well with Esther pulling the strings and Abiodun dictating,breaking up play and initiating attacks and Esther deservedly got the goal after some great works down the line and cutting in.
The Cameroonians got her injured early in the second half and was replaced by Oshoala . Suddenly our game became predictable as everyone was looking for Oshoala with long balls over the top.The cameroun coach made a tactical switch the moment oshoala came, replacing his central defender with a much younger player and switching to a back three.So she was always crowded out and too isolated upfront for any of our players to win the second balls. Again, she does not have the legs and pace like before and she tired out after 10 minutes and began strolling on the pitch.
The Cameroonians though are a decent side.Alozie headed off the goal line in the first half and Nnadizie made a stunning save off a header early in the second half as the Cameroonians pour forward knowing that they get through with a score draw.Their keeper was excellent as she made series of saves to keep the scorelines respectable.
The falcons were so drained after the match that they could not take the traditional salute round the stadium to greet the singing and drumming supporters.
So let us critique carefully, the most important thing is that we are into the final round
Thumbs up ehi. Nice on-the-spot report. The last 10 minutes were nerve-wracking, especially seeing Nnadozie injured and fearing she could let slip a silly last-minute goal.
CAF really needs to drop this stupid away goals rule. It’s not fair game. There are no home or away matches in the 21st century.
I hope Papafem is is reading this.
Thanks Ehi and Dr Drey above. I hated the match because it was a bruising slugfest. Cameroon didn’t come to play, they came to fight. Only God knows what a Cameroonian player was trying to plant inside our goalpost when Chiamaka Nnadozie angrily chased her away.
The Super Falcons could only adjust to the brutality playing against them which made for a forgettable encounter.
South Africa play fluid and vibrant football. Lethargy and loss of concentration at key times is what can harm the Super Falcons against South Africa.
If our ladies maintain focus and concentration then their chances of success will be enhanced.
Hopefully we will not witness the sort of scrum that happened today.
As for Oshoala, (this is a personal opinion), she is only useful on the flanks as an impact sub.
Honestly I think Waldrum is shooting himself on the foot using her as a centre forward. She loses far too many chances and her centre forward movements aren’t dynamic enough to cause harm. But as a winger her pace is still sufficient enough to keep fullbacks on their toes, particularly later on in the match.
Cameroon are always like this anytime they come up against us. How they get away with those career-ending tackles still baffles me. Well, it’s easy to play that way with an African ref holding the whistle. They hardly do anything meaningful at the World stage.
We all was what happened in 2006 when Zimbabawe hosted it. We came up against them in the final and it was brutal. Titilayo Mekuleyi was stretched out. Thanks to the ingenuity of Stella Mbachu and Perpetual Nkwocha. We won 5:0 or so with the coach, Godwin Izilien, adopting a no-touch-me style, a kind of motorized approach.
Thanks for this detailed and precise report Ehi.
I followed the game from the begining to the end on Youtube too, and I can beat my chest to say I saw the best football the SF has played in the last 3 years in the first half.
These younger ones Ucheibe, Abiodun, Ajibade, Esther Okoronkwo, Echegini are the real deal if we want to scale through South Africa to the olympics.
We started playing kak football the moment Ayinde, Kanu, and the chief culprit Oshola came on. Kanu lost EVERY pass that was given to her, I mean EVERY pass. She lost 100% of her duels too and did not provide any cover for Alozie. The less said of Assisat the better. The
Such kinds of big womanism is the reason why we may not make it from the Olympics if we are not careful.
If the NFF is a sensible organization, Falcons would not have been victims of extremely poor officiation twice in a row. Nigerian teams are like orphans. They have no one to fight for them. And it is very shameful that when it was time for the Falcons to get an award, an NFF member went to the podium to receive an award on their behalf. That is what they do. They like to reap where they have not sown. The only thing they are good at is embezzling.
The officiation in the two matches were very bad. Cameroon did not come to play football. They had a very negative game plan which was to play very dirty. And the referee allowed them for more than 90 minutes before she decided to do something just to save face, knowing that the game has practically come to an end.
And for those who are concerned about SA, I believe if the officiation is fair, Falcons stand a better chance against SA. If Cameroon played this way against SA and the officiation is exactly this way, it is very likely that SA would lose. The match officials messed up the match completely. But my greatest surprise is how they can come to Nigeria and do this to us again in our backyard after all the nonsense they have already dont in Cameroon.
I think NFF and our players need to begin to protest unfair treatments on and off the field, Caf should begin to feel our influence henceforth cos it’s clear we are like ophan in Africa.
I have been saying these things for over 20 years now – it seems some of you are finally waking up and smelling the coffee – All these “African” officials are never fair when officiating Nigeria’s games and we never have anyone fighting our cause – even if you come and shout about it some of these “Nigerians” will start attacking you – Well I thank God that many are now seeing it!
I hope and pray that our people and officials and even the players themselves start making sure that they do not take any BS from anybody again – and stop just lying down and taking disallowed penalties, unfair officiating etc – our managers and coaching staff should start fighting for our players from the touchlines and the officials from the NFF need to start making complaints about every stupid decision by referees! Like today when Alozie got fingers in her eyes but the bloody ref did nothing even when you could see the Cameroonian girl reacted in a way that clearly showed that she was guilty – yet the ref did nothing but immediately afterwards she blew for a nothing foul against the SF – Enough of all this BS already!!
And Oshoala needs to retire from international football!
You’re an excellent writer and I’m not here to correct your write-up. But the odor that emanates from CAF on their treatment of Nigeria should be described with the appropriate metaphor– SH$T!
@Field Marshall,bI agree with some of your points.There were two clear cases of handball in the Cameroonian half and the referee strangely looked the other way and award corners instead.
Cameroun game is based on raw power, brawn and bully with little skills play.The kind of career ending tackles that the referee allowed from the Cameroonians is mind blowing.
Assisat should not retire just yet.She should be coming in late in the game as an impact player.She gives us physical presence in the box.But her game is easily read by defenders and opposing coaches. It is either ball over the top and she scramble for it but to be effective, she need a second striker to play off her for second balls or ball into space down the line and she run off defenders shoulders.But she has lost a lot of pace and was already tired and strolling on the pitch after just two runs.Her hold up play to bring others into the play is also very poor.She should also work on her weight.Coach waldrum must work out other routes to goal as exemplified by the first half goal.
Toni Payne was played on the wings and she was anonymous until she was substituted.Maybe she should share the AM role with Echegini because that position does not seems to be her preferred position.
Against SA, it is going to be a different ball game.The momentum is with them as they are African champions and have won the last four games against Nigeria.Now is the time to correct that.The first leg will hold in abuja on April 1st with the return leg in SA to hold a week later
Y’all can thank ehi later after we win South Africa. Lol
The problem is this mediocre coach,he has nothing to offer it was cheer gutsand determination of the girls that got us the results during the world cup. We are so timid and patient when it comes to white coaches. Let a seasoned local coach take over and we see good changes. South Africa would eliminate us again from going to the Olympics.
Let’s stop unnecessary hyping South Africa. I am saying it again that if South Africans were victims of malicious officiation like the Falcons were today and the Cameroonoan played this kind of Kungfuball against them, SA will likely not survive. It was the match officials that completely messed of the match fir the ladies.
If the officiation is fair and the selection is right. These girls will beat South Africa hands down.
Thank you Debo. That was the same way they kept crying about Senegal Morocco etc before afcon. I said on this forum that this is afcon and this Nigeria. We can always grind out something. I always point to 2013.
Sometimes we get too scared or get too tensed to understand that Nigeria is not Togo
Even with injuries to ndidi Boniface awoniyi at afcon we got to the final. We could have won if pesero had not misfired
Now South Africa will kill us South Africa will destroy us. Let’s wait and see.
At this point a sensible FA will see that Magudu is the coach and maybe Waldrum should be the adviser. Waldrum’s team is always dull and predictable like a team that is new to each other every time they meet always complains of adaptation are felt, but same time frame with Magudu and he always delivers a team that plays sleek and direct with less pressure. @TheNFF the one goal is to win so do the needful reshuffle and let the girls have their peace playing under a coach that understands them better.
Lastly CAF officiating translates to me that they’re anti-Nigeria and the NFF also has to look into this because it’s becoming strange that we are treated as slave team. The first leg saw two goals from Esther wrongly ruled out and the second leg looks like a Rugby if not for the brilliance of Jennifer and Esther to conjure a goal the story will be different. They complain of corrupt Nigerian refs but yet they give us evil refs to officiate matches against us at every level. The question is who is taking note at the NFF and what is the way forward to address both CAF and FIFA for all the unjust treatment since 2014 World Cup against France? Till date Nigeria has been at the receiving end of criminal officiating both at FIFA and CAF levels with a mindset that we are suspected criminals so must be treated as one when faced with match judgment. There are always evidence of false officiating and it’s time for NFF to act or we might not win any major silverware at both SE and SF!!!
I agree in toto with you, NFF must make their influence felt.
@ehi, thanks for raising this issue of unfair officiating against Nigeria, I remember this was how Super Eagles was robbed in Kumasi in the first leg of the Qatar word cup qualifiers of in 54 minutes when Osimehen was brought down in the box. We could have been ahead by 1 goal before the second leg in Abuja.
This is a cause for concern as whoever is in charge of making complaint on behalf of the Nigeria teams in the NFF to CAF and FIFA is not representing Nigeria well, we want to know the person and the person needs to sit up, this position is crucial to all Nigeria teams participating in all international competition.
We need to be assured that Nigeria will definitely make complaint for any unfair officiating!!!!!!
@supergoals, nobody robbed you in kumasi. You were properly taken care of. Granted you were robbed in kumasi, were you robbed in Abuja to? You guys should toughen up and stop this cry baby shit. Between Nigeria and any team in Africa, who should complain of rough play. Are there no tough men and woman in Nigeria anymore? Pls stop these unnecessary complaints and grow up. This is contact sport and unless you have clear evidence the referee has been corrupted, just shut up and play on. Toughen up Nigeria!
I will stop coming to this useless CSN site how can I post a reply and it disappears I’ve had enough of this rubbish cos this ain’t the first time.
The issue of officiating bias on Nigeria rests on the general secretary’s office, he’s the one who represents the federation and its interests in the CAF general assembly,that man hasn’t done anything meaningful for our football,when CAF start implementing their policies which never favours Nigeria,the dil will be there like the yes man he is,won’t raise this officiating issue either until maybe when Osihmen gets a 6 match ban for dissent maybe,just maybe he’ll act accordingly.
I watched the Olympic qualifying games against Cameroun and I have this issue with Coach Waldrum’s tactical setups and game reading abilities,I remember against the English, he’s reaction to their red card was to bring in 2 extra forwards when the game cried out for an attacking midfield to pull the English back 5 apart and outnumber their 2 woman midfield by drawing out the English defenders and putting through balls to the wings for crosses to come in. We all know how that game ended.
Now against Cameroun,instead instructing Toni Payne to stay high and wide why not use her like her club(inverted winger) or better still deploy her in her natural position,move Asisat to the left and keep Esther through the center,let abiodun and ucheibe use their energy,legs and excellent screening in the first half then bring on Echegini and Ayinde to add creativity and Nous in the 2nd half,that way his through ball philosophy will yield more goals.
(Asisat from the left is explosive)
His continuous experimenting is why this team has failed to play as an attacking unit,to many square pegs in round holes.
We’ve gone past this stage and the time to do the needful is now in order to progress otherwise regrets will be the meal every Nigerian will continue to eat this year.
Thanks.
For the umpteenth time, our national teams got intimidated and treated like minnows by match officials. 8n three consecutive matches, our teams became the target of CAF and no complaints or whatsoever have been filed till date.
This is what you get When you have fraud PICNIC representing you at CAF and FIFA. This same PICNIC hand picked the current nff board to continue the unholy practices. PICNIC is eyeing CAF presidency and doing everything to achieve his goal at the expense of our national team reasons why his boys at the nff would avoid altercations with CAF.
I watched the AFCON final again over the weekend and i’m still convinced that the officials did everything to frustrate the Super Eagles and tge end his history. I watched the Super Falcons go through malicious attacks from opposing team and match officials home and away.
A committed and effective nff would file a petition and protest to protect our national teams to send strong warnings to CAF.