No hiding place for Australia, Falcons boast

After their narrow escape from Sweden in their first group match, Super Falcons feel they have all it takes to pick the group ticket. They will face Australia tomorrow in Winnipeg, and the players and their officials say nothing will save Australia from defeat.

 Speaking with The Guardian after a training session here in Winnipeg yesterday, striker, Desire Oparanozie said she would personally go all out to ensure victory for Nigeria o against Australia to make up for the own goal she scored in the Sweden versus Nigeria game on Monday.

 She said the target is to qualify from the group and break that 16 years jinx since 1999 in USA.

 

According to her: “We are looking forward to that game with high expectations because we have to beat Australia to gather four points before we face USA in Vancouver. 

 Also speaking with The Guardian, goalkeeper Precious Dede said though the Australians are not push overs, they will do everything within their might to win tomorrow’s game to stand a chance of picking one of the group tickets.

 

Also optimistic, Coach Edwin Okon says he would line up a side capable of winning the game against Australia.  “We are in a race and one cannot say exactly what the other person is planning. The Australians are good because it was not an easy job for them to qualify for the World Cup from their zone. 

  

Explaining why he did not make changes in the game against Sweden, Okon says it was because the girls were fit.

“The 11 on the bench can equally play against any team,” Okon, adding, however, “I didn’t know anything about Sweden before the game. All I need to know about a team is just by watching them in the opening five minutes.

“

(At half time during the game against Sweden with Nigeria trailing 0-2), we told the girls that it’s not over yet until it’s over. They just had to fight till the end of the game.

“I also don’t know anything about the Australian team we will play next but it is a must win game.

“No team is a pushover. We do not underrate any team. Since it is eleven versus eleven, it is the grass that will decide,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut, has charged the Falcons to beat Australia.

 

In his message, Yakmut said that beating Australia would take pressure off the Falcons ahead of their game against USA in Vancouver

Falcons get win bonus for Sweden draw.

Following their superlative comeback against Sweden, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) approved for the Super Falcons to get their full win match bonus.

The Falcons came from two goals down to pull out a 3-3 draw and shock bookmakers, who had given Sweden this game.

NFF head of women’s football and chairperson women league, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, said “the girls got full compliment of their bonus”.

She added: “NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, surprised the girls after the game when he announced that he has ordered that their full win bonus be paid to them.

“He even came ahead of the team waiting for them in the hotel and expressed his satisfaction with their performance.

“And I must tell you that this gesture from the president has propelled the girls. Remember that he had already promised them several other monies.”