Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets, arrived in the Senegalese capital, Dakar on Wednesday ahead of their 2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup final round, first leg clash with their Senegalese counterparts.
The two –time World Cup runners-up have amassed a total of 18 goals in five matches in this long qualifying series, jettisoning Central African Republic, Republic of Congo and Cameroon on the way.
Against the Central African Republic, the Falconets hit seven goals away and four at home, before lashing the Congolese girls 4-0 in Brazzaville, leading to the Congolese Football Federation opting not to fly their girls to Nigeria for the return leg.
Cameroon’s U20 girls showed muscle and strength in their first encounter with the Nigerian girls in Douala to end it 0-0, but fell by three goals at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja to crash out of the race.
The Senegalese girls reached this final qualifying round after edging the Mali U20 girls 5-3 on penalty shoot-out, with both teams tied 1-1 at the end of the two-legged fourth round fixture.
Head Coach Chris Danjuma settled for his usual suspects in the 23-girl list, including goalkeeper Monle Oyono, captain Oluwatosin Demehin, defenders Oshobukola Omowumi, Oluchi Ohaegbulem and Jumoke Alani, midfielders Esther Onyenezide and Adoo Yina, and forwards Mercy Idoko, Joy Jerry and Blessing Okpe.
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Saturday’s clash at the Stade Lat-Dior in Thies (outside Dakar) will kick off at 4.30pm Senegal time (5.30pm Nigeria time).
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has appointed Togolese official Vincentia Amedome as referee for the match. She will be assisted by compatriot Abra Agbedanou (assistant referee 1), and Mauritanians Mariem Chedad (assistant referee 2) and Aissata Amadou Lam (fourth official).
Sabine Marie Isabelle Zoungrana from Burkina Faso will serve as the match commissioner.
FALCONETS IN DAKAR TO BATTLE SENEGAL
Goalkeepers: Nelly Ekeh (Sunshine Queens); Monle Oyono (Bayelsa Queens); Inyene Etim (Abia Angels)
Defenders: Oluwatosin Demehin (Rivers Angels); Omowunmi Oshobukola (Edo Queens); Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Jumoke Alani (Edo Queens); Motunrayo Ezekiel (Naija Ratels); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Nasarawa Amazons); Oluchi Ohaegbulem (Confluence Queens); Chidinma Ogbuchi (FC Robo Queens)
Midfielders: Bashirat Amoo (Nasarawa Amazons); Esther Onyenezide (FC Robo Queens); Adoo Yina (Nasarawa Amazons); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels); Chinyere Kalu (Nasarawa Amazons); Anuoluwapo Salisu (Bayelsa Queens)
Forwards: Joy Jerry (Bayelsa Queens); Mercy Idoko (Nasarawa Amazons); Flourish Sebastine (Bayelsa Queens); Taiwo Lawal (FC Robo Queens); Blessing Okpe (Rivers Angels); Tessy Ojiyovwi (Nasarawa Amazons)
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Good luck girls.
..Merciless Mercy Leads Nigeria’s March..
In what is an antithesis of her moniker, marvellous Mercy Idoko has been anything but merciful to Nigeria’s opponents in the ongoing Under 20 women’s world cup qualifying campaign.
In 5 games, this remorseless sniper found the back of the net an amazing 5 times. Actually, it could have been way more had Congo not decided to do a no-show for their second leg qualifier after the Falconets took them to the cleaners in the first leg with 4 unreplied goals (in their own backyard).
The Nasarawa Amazons sharpshooter was the lady of the match in the 4-0 dismantling of CAR in the second round return leg of their qualifiers at the MJ Arena, Onikan Lagos on the 6th of October 2021. This feat earned the budding striker the prize money of -N- 500,000 for her eloquent and exemplary display.
Mercy Idoko embodies everything one would expect of a modern day center forward. Her speed, strength, physicality, power, aerial prowess, precision, pace and killer instincts put her on par with many ruthless strikers of her peers currently in world football.
Not to take any shine off her teammates, this current Falconets squad have been amazing in the prosecution of their world cup qualifying campaign. From Onyenezide to Lawal to Adoo, other midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers that have kept clean sheets across 5 games, their overall performances have been sublime.
They have all played with conviction and character. These ladies have nailed their performances across the park.
The coaches have also done an amazing job in producing a tight, compact and well designed Falconets outfit.
In Senegal, they will find a worthy opponents. From what I saw from them against Morocco, they are technical, tactical, tenacious, positionally disciplined, focuses and hungry for succes.
Their elder sisters just qualified for the Women’s Afcon after a tensed penalty standoff against Mali. So these young Senegalese ladies will be hoping to make it a brace of qualifier victories by leapfrogging Nigeria’s Falconets to world cup qualification.
So the Falconets cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Based on how they have performed in the previous games, aggregate victory against Senegal should not be beyond them.
Should the Nigerian ladies resist biting on the the ampoules of complacency and stay razor focused, victory should be theirs across the 2 legs.
And it will be bloody brilliant!
Reconnaissance mission on Senegal ladies.
https://youtu.be/lGrBZUpG32I