Copper Queens of Zambia head coach Nora Häuptle claimed the Super Falcons of Nigeria deserved to beat her team, reports Completesports.com.
Nine-time champions Nigeria thrashed the Copper Queens 5-0 in their quarter-final encounter at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca on Friday night.
Osinachi Ohale, Esther Okoronkwo, and Chiwendu Ihezuo were on target for the Super Falcons in the first half.
Nigeria scored two more goals in the second half through Oluwatosin Demehin, and Folashade Ijamilusi.
Häuptle acknowledged Nigeria’s superiority and congratulated the Super Falcons on their emphatic victory.
“Very clear loss for us. Congratulations to Nigeria for the well-deserved victory. I think today we need to accept that Nigeria was better than us,” she said. “None of us has been on top—neither the players nor me as coach. It was a collective loss,” Häuptle told reporters after the game.
Read Also:WAFCON 2024: Everton Salute Payne, Super Falcons Teammates After 5-0 Win Against Zambia
“In the Nigerian squad, you see almost everyone plays abroad—either in France or America. They have much more players abroad. Nigeria is a country with about 200 million people, and Zambia has just 20 million. We don’t have so much talent.”
Häuptle also said her players struggled against their more physical opponent.
She added that while Zambia currently has around nine or ten players abroad, the majority of her squad still play in the domestic league and are not yet physically or tactically on par with elite-level teams.
“We’ve seen that physically, we’re not on the same level. We need to go back and find ways for our players to go abroad earlier and develop,” added the Swiss.
Despite the heavy defeat, Häuptle insisted that her side will bounce back stronger in future.
“We said we were going to hunt. Nigeria are several-time winners, but we are on a growth path and development journey. We will also hunt in the next tournament. We are hungry and will continue to improve. We don’t care much what others say,” she insisted.
By Adeboye Amosu
8 Comments
Keep your excuse to yourself, you were taught a big lesson
Exactly. Loud mouth people. Too much boasting kill Pepo.
This is true. Even Eba (your bro) lol knows this. Thanks
Hahahaha before the game was we are not scared of Nigeria, we will beat them because we have done it before lmao, now after the game they have started counting census Nigeria is a 500 million population country will they have only the 23 players as their population, kudos to our girls, for putting this Zambians in their place.
You annoyed the SF with your endless empty boasts. Moreover, fielding those two players whose gender is suspect further infuriated the girls. Speak on the pitch; hit them hard.
The hunter became the hunted
This coach no know before that Nigeria no dey the same level with Zambia.
No be the same coach wey dey run mouth like tap Water before with her players that they would be Nigeria.
The nest team to be humiliated by God’s grace is South Africa coach and her players in this competition.
After she and her mens player like Banda and de others dem declare say dem go nearly kii 9ja in dat game, las las na pure wotowoto de Nigreins girls give dem lmaaoo.
Up Nigreains, up de girls, up Ashley, Okoronkwo, Ajibade et al –
Couch Magudu pls try and play Ordega the terror more and leave out Oshoala and Odumonu from now on.