Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi will play no part in the side’s clash against the She-polopolo of Zambia, reports Completesports.com.
Ebi sustained the injury in the side’s semi-final defeat to the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco on Monday.
The centre-back was replaced by Michelle Alozie in the 77th minute of the encounter.
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Ebi took to the social media to announce the development.
“Captain Onome Ebi has been knocked out by a hamstring injury (biceps femoris muscle tear- Grade 2) and could require between six weeks to two months to recover. She suffered the injury in the gruelling semi final battle against Morocco that the Falcons lost on penalty,”she Tweeted.
Ebi has won the Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations (WAFCON) four times in the past
The Super Falcons face the Copper Queens of Zambia on Friday July 22 at the Mohammed V Stadium Casablanca, Morocco.
By Toju Sote
25 Comments
Have the NFF filed an official complaint against the Moroccans for the use of laser pointers against the Falcons? What is the time limit for the filing of such complaints? We should try and get these Moroccans punished for their use of threats and intimidation during the Semi’s. Its urgent. NFF do your job!!
She doesn’t deserve to miss such a match but this injury is a blessing in disguise.. We would have Ebi missing from the starting 11 for the first time in donkey years.. It would give us the chance to see a new central defense pair in plumptre and ohale..
Since it might be a 2 months injury she might also be absent for the friendly games in the US in 2 months time giving the new players more chance to gel..
Wishing her a quick recovery! But I want new players discovered for her position for the future, at 39 she cannot play at top form for too long and the faster we get her replacement the better for our team..
Get well Ebi ,you are loved!
I wouldn’t call an injury to anyone a blessing, but I do agree that it’s a chance to see other players in the center back role.
Ebi, get well soon.
It’s a shame we never got to see more of Glory Ogbonna in this competition. I do hope she starts tomorrow in the absence of the immortal Ebi.
Moving forward, Ogbonna – Plumptre combination should provide a solid promontory for Nigeria at centre back. I think they will complement each other well with their respective abilities to sense danger and react as swiftly as the severity of the situation demands.
I have a feeling that Waldrum will retain Plumptre in the unusual left back position tomorrow and draft Ogbonna in the centre to replace Ebi. National team football is funny in the sense that coaches try to keep players happy even if it means fielding them in unnatural positions.
Plumptre’s confined mobility makes her a more suitable centre back which is why she plays there in club football.
After this tournament, we should hopefully have other viable centre backs emerge from the pool of diaspora or indigenous home and foreign based players.
Ebi – Ohale combo has really served us exceedingly well over the years and they suprised me joyfully in this tournament with their assured and compelling displays. Whether they will be able to sustain this exemplary form into the world cup in 12 months time remains to be seen.
However, if the inevitable age-related cracks start to show, then we might see the emergence of a Super Falcons Oyinbo walk in Plumptre and Zogg (who is recuperating from an injury). But I am almost certain that Waldrum (if he is still in charge) will almost always lean towards having a back 3 against more formidable global oppositions. In which case I will go for a Zogg – Plumptre – Ogbonna combo.
But for now, good luck to the ladies tomorrow. So long as we resist pressing the self – destruct button, we still have it in us to put other African pretenders in their place.
We are Nigeria, they can like it or lump it but we remain the giants of African football – despite their best or worst intentions!
Other viable and tantalising young and vibrant centres back options open to the Super Falcons are Oluwatosin Blessing Demehin (20 years old) and Chidima Okeke (21 years old), both of whom have featured under Randy Waldrum.
Again, good luck to the Super Falcons against Zambia. One would have thought by now, the ugly head of unpaid bonuses by the NFF was dead and buried. I was rather shocked when it resurfaced in the week leading to the Super Falcons allegedly boycotting a crucial training session.
With such thoughts taking up residence in their minds, let’s hope concentration levels remain sky high for this evening’s encounter.
Sadly, we remain our own worst enemy with disgusting issues like non-payment of bonuses which should really by now have gone the way of the dinosaurs.
Should our players get distracted and (God forbid) lose today’s match on penalties, NFF and sports ministry officials will come out to “praise the Super Falcons for their bravery and gallantry in defeat” – medicine after death, if you ask me!
We are Nigeria ; we should be better than this!
Again, good luck to the ladies.
I thought Zogg did well in the few games she’s played for the SF.
A versatile player. In addition to the center back role, she can also play as a right back and right wing back.
Let me stop here, before some pipo accuse me of showering praises on her because she’s pretty.
Wish her a speedy recovery.
Why do you like to move my center backs to wingback or fullback? I haven’t forgiven you for that sacrilege on Plumptre who falters in fullback role.
Mind yourself Pompei.
Deo my man, Plumptre’s problem is pace.
But apart from that weakness, to me she has the qualities to be a good left back.
See the way she drives forward with the ball on the left flank, and the quality crosses that come from her left foot. She dribbles surprisingly well for someone lacking pace. And her defending is on point. Not many get past her in a one on one situation.
If she had pace, she would have been one heck of a left full back. But I agree that when she was switched to center back against Morocco, she did look more comfortable in that role.
So, I will concede this one to you. It does appear that she’s more at home as a center back. Until she’s in a foot race with a pacy striker!!!
Zogg on the other hand is someone I’ve watched play as a full back and wing back for her club. On one occasion, as a wing back, she scored twice in a game they won 2-1. She is quite capable in that role.
In a nutshell, Plumptre is exceedingly comfortable with the ball, not too surprising for someone that actually transitioned to center back from midfield.
Check out a cracker she scored from midfield. So her ball carrying skills are not to be sniffed at .
https://youtu.be/ThmXgxS908g
Wow, that was a howitzer. And it was with the RIGHT FOOT!
I thought her right foot was only for standing on. Pleasantly surprised!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp4K3pNV8LE
See highlights of Plumptre against Morocco. See the way she drives forward effortlessly with the ball. Surprisingly adept at dribbling for someone lacking pace. See the way she beat 2 players at 1:51. And see the stalwart defending. Add to all that the sumptuous crosses into the box. Although lacking pace, she makes up for that with above average positional awareness and well timed tackles. And very good aerially as well. Wins a lot of headers. These attributes are what make me feel she is a capable left full back.
That said, I do agree that she looks more comfortable as a center back, for the reason that the position does not require as much pace.
Thank you @POMPEI and @DEO for all your GOOD write ups on my WOMAN PLUMPTRE…
I owe you GUYS mehn..
If wishes were horses…….
O boy, how far now? You don ready to pay money?
You can’t get a fine girl like that for free ooo.
No romance without finance. Hahahaha!
Lol..
when you don see OYIBO dey collect BRIDE PRICE?
Na STRAIGHT to the POINT matter dem dey do o..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBrAgdFuHnk
When you watch football with the back of your head, A player like this will be the weakest link in your team.
Provide this girl with the right support structures on the field and see if your opponents will not go home with basket load of goals.
I state boldly once again, Ifeoma Onumonu is the best traditional No 9 I’ve seen in this tournament so far.
@ Dr Drey my dear friend, I totally disagree with you here on Onumonu. She can never be regarded as the best traditional no 9 based on her display in this tournament so far. Even when you take a look at the video you posted you will see that she hardly gets anything right on the night including the so called fantastic header that rebounded off the post before our goal (compare with Ajibade’s header against Cameroon), to me that was a tame header.
I agree she is a good player but not good enough to lead the line for SF. Ajibade, Kanu or Monday Gift will do a better job my brother. She has a good hold-up play but not fast or strong enough for a good striker (can you compare her to Osimhen?), her dribbling skill is also not good enough and despite her good height and physique she hardly trouble the opponents during corner kicks of free kicks floated into the opponent’s goal area.
I’ve got more analysis to give but am currently ii-between patient’s consultations at the moment, you’re welcome to debate this further later in the evening
I miss you though my dear brother @Dr Drey, one love!!!
I have absolutely nothing to debate further.
Her 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games in this tournament playing as a point-man and her 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 games leading the SF attack says it all.
When Ajibade or Kanu or Monday plays that no 9 role, always sandwiched in-between 2 defenders and can rack up such numbers, then I’ll agree they “WILL” do a better job.
Her header vs Cameroon was perfectly executed, well timed, well angled, hit to the ground to distract the keeper, but while Ajibade’s hit the bar from close range and went in, Ifeoma’s hit the bar and strolled across face of the goal. Its just a matter of the spin on the ball and what part of the post it hit and the angle of attack, not a matter of execution or the executor. And the last time I checked, the pin-point cross that Ajibade guided beyond the upright was off the boots of Ifeoma.
There’s no point comparing her with Osimhen. No Nigerian CF (male or female compares to Osimhne at the moment). Not everybody is going have the pace or be a physical CF like Osimhen. There are also going to be others like Onuachu or Umar who need very intelligent support structures to bring out the beauty in their work.
If Onuachu was producing in the SE half of what Ifeoma is producing in the SF, he wouldnt keep getting left out of the team like an upcoming player.
Unless another emerges before this WAFCON will run to a close on the 22nd, Ify is till the best and most technical traditional No 9 that has graced it so far.
Its even more fantastic to know that she’s still a new player in the team who hasnt even had 10 caps yet for the SF.
Her header vs Morocco rather.
I agree she is a decent striker but what I dispute is when you said she is the “best striker (leading no 9) in this tournament”. Ajibade has 3 goals and many assists in this same tournament despite playing much less minutes and not as a point-woman (no 9), Kanu has 2 goals also with less than half the minutes on pitch than Onumonu and not as no 9 too.
Should Monday Gift be given opportunity to start today’s match ahead of Onumonu as a top 9 with Kanu supporting from the flanks, you will see the difference in performance tonight but knowing Waldrum as dumb as he is, he might not start the poor girl or bench Onumonu
Please withdraw this statement……….. “Unless another emerges before this WAFCON will run to a close on the 22nd, Ify is till the best and most technical traditional No 9 that has graced it so far”. It’s very misleading especially judging from the video you posted above where he put most legs wrong except for the tame header bro.
1 question. Just 1 one question….. do you actually know what a traditional No 9 is and meant to do in a football team….???
You are not under compulsion to agree with me on anything, but I make bold to repeat once more, that of all the traditional No 9s that have featured at WAFCON 2022, Ifeoma by miles remain the best and most technical of them all.
I’ld really love to see Monday Gift start and play that role too under the same tactical set up. Unless its not the same Monday Gift I saw when ASFAR walloped Rivers angles 3:0 at the CAF women champions league
The girl Onumonu is not yet good enough to lead attack for SF. She is very easily tamed and her threat is weak… even to trap ball and bully defenders was a problem for her and Waldrum kept more effective players on the bench… We were supposed to have stung Morocco from first half if we had cutting edge in attack… Onumonu try but she just wasn’t the deal that could have brought any real killshot!
@Dr Drey, yes I definitely know what a typical no 9 role is in a game of football and I insist that Onumonu is just a decent or manageable no 9 for Super Falcons. 1 goal in 5 tournament matches is such a poor return if you ask me, no dangerous moments from her, no serious threat to defenders, easily bundled off the ball, poor ball control, no aerial prowess or threat, no speed, no stamina, no penalty skills…………..I can go on and on Dr Drey.
Kindly watch the same clip you posted above with a clear mind without any bias and you’ll agree with me that ONUMONU IS SIMPLY AVERAGE.
Please read up a write up from Deo in another thread and respond to the points he raised. https://www.completesports.com/wafcon-2022-depleted-super-falcons-ready-for-zambia-test-waldrum/
As Dr. Drey alluded to in his post, Onumonu is a striker who excels when she has the right support structures around her. She makes intelligent runs all day. All she needs is quality supply. Players like Monday, Kanu, Oshoala can produce with their sheer pace, but Onumonu is not of that stock.
Onumonu would excel in a team where the midfielders push up, making runs into the box, and the wingers come close to the main striker and provide support. With her hold up ability, she can play in her colleagues making runs around her. And she is good at positioning herself in the box.
This video sums up Onumonu’s plight throughout this tournament. Deployed as a lone striker, she has been isolated upfront in every match we have played. It was really bad against Cameroon, who play 3 center backs. Onumonu was on her own against these 3 center backs.
Against Morocco, she had the same issue, only it was even worse. As the video shows, whenever she received the ball, the Moroccans converged on her. 3 or 4 players coming at her at the same time. It’s tough to produce in this circumstances. Yet, she still tried to make things happen.
Also noteworthy is the point that when she made useful runs, the passes coming from midfield were either behind her, or forcing her wide, and she ends up on the flanks instead of in the box where she wants to be.
If the right support can’t be provided for Onumonu, then their is no point starting her. Monday or another striker with pace will be better suited for that circumstance. But if the right support is provided, Onumonu will be much more at home.