Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has decided to throw open the gates of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to supporters expected to throng the arena for the first leg of the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier between the Nigeria and Tanzania on Saturday. The decision was guided by the desire to attract more supporters […]
via Obaseki Waives Gate Fees For Nigeria, Tanzania Clash In Benin City Today — newfanzoneblog
The U20 Women National Team, Falconets have arrived in Benin City ahead of Saturday’s 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match against their counterparts from Tanzania. Coach Chris Danjuma led the players and other officials from Abuja on Tuesday morning, as the two –time World Cup silver medallists stormed the ancient city to perfect […]
Newly–installed Head Coach of Nigeria U20 Women National Team, Falconets, Chris Danjuma on Tuesday rolled out a list of 30 players who have been invited to the team camp in Abuja ahead of next month’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Tanzania. Two –time FIFA World Cup runners –up Falconets will entertain their […]
via Danjuma Invites 30 Falconets Ahead Clash With Tanzania — newfanzoneblog
Ahead of Nigeria’s final group phase match, Coach Peter Dedevbo has declared that his girls need to toughen up for the battle against Spain. As reward for a courageous performance against Canada, in which the girls came from behind to win 3-1, the players were given a rest day on Thursday. In place of the […]
via Dedevbo Promises Total Make–Over Against Spain — newfanzoneblog
Goals by Chinaza Uchendu, Joy Bokiri and Chiwendu Ihezuo steered Nigeria’s U20 womens, Falconets to a 3-1 victory over the U20 women’s team of Canada in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday. The Canadians, who received a 5-0 hiding from Spain in their first match, went in front after only 15 minutes as Deanne Rose turned […]
via Falconets Defeat Canada 3-1, Set to battle Spain — newfanzoneblog
Former NFF Board Member, Hon. Ayo Omidiran, Director of Federations and Elite Athletes department of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi and CAF Match Commissioner Aisha Falode on Tuesday challenged Nigeria women football players to take education as serious as they take the game of football. The eminent persons spoke at […]
via Omidiran, Kulu-Akinyemi, Falode challenge women players on education — newfanzoneblog
Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to the Falconets’ evening training session at the FIFA Goal Project Pitch in Abuja, where he handed out success tips to the team. Rohr, accompanied by the NFF Head of Women Football, Ruth David, expressed optimism in the ability of Falconets to soar […]
via Rohr Gives Falconets Success Tips Ahead FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup — newfanzoneblog
Former Falconets captain and Rivers Angels left back, Gloria Ofoegbu has appreciated media houses and sports writers in the country who ensured her injury issue was brought to the lime light.
The defender who has been out of action since she suffered an ankle injury during the African Women Championship in Namibia underwent a knee surgery on November 26 (over 13 months after picking up the injury against hosts Namibia on October 17 last year) at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos.
A Good Samaritan who prefers to be anonymous came to her rescue after listening to her story on Channels Television after the Nigeria Football Federation had seemingly left her to her fate.
The Port Harcourt based businessman took it upon himself to bring in Surgeons from the United States who examined her on October 17 and just over a month later, the surgery performed.
Gloria who was accused of nursing a chronic right knee injury for five years and arthritis according to reports written by Super Falcons’ doctor, Omoye Akhigbe and team physiotherapist, Adaku Nwachukwu was later diagnosed of a ‘Meniscus Tear’ and a ’Grade IV Chondral Damage’ of her knees by the foreign experts.
In a chat with her club’s media officer, Jessica Amadi, Gloria was indeed grateful to all that God used to remedy her situation.
“I am very happy and I want to thank the entire journalists that God used to bring this man, especially Channels Television,”
“I equally want to appreciate the efforts of the selfless Sports presenters in Port Harcourt and also those in Abuja, they did well.”
“I give glory to God for the success of the surgery and with the assurances from the Doctors, I will be back on my feet soon.” said Gloria after a Church thanksgiving service on Sunday.
Gloria, a left-footed set-piece specialist incidentally scored for the Super Falcons in the same match before she copped the injury that could have been easily dealt with but is now proving to be a career-threatening one. She has already started her rehabilitation process and will be out for a few months before regaining full fitness although doctors told her that her chances of playing football again “are very slim” due to the lateness of the surgery.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has called on the country’s U-20 Women’s Team, Falconets, to fight hard for the World Cup ticket when taking on South Africa’s Basetsana in Johannesburg on Sunday.
The African qualifying final round fixture between both countries is delicately poised after the Falconets won the first leg 2-1 in Abuja, meaning Sunday’s clash at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa, on the suburbs of South Africa’s commercial and industrial capital, will be explosive.
Sanusi, who is with the Falconets in South Africa, said on Saturday that the reigning world vice champions must fight hard from the first blast of the whistle till the end.
“You must go out there on Sunday to prove that Nigeria’s pedigree in women’s football is no fluke. South Africa also invests big in women’s football and recently qualified for next year’s Olympics. But the truth is no African country has achieved what Nigeria has achieved in the women’s game.
“As reigning world vice champions, we must go out and prove out superiority on the field tomorrow. The ticket to Papua New Guinea is a must, because Nigerians back home are expecting you to book your flight to that country for the final tournament.”
The Falconets take on the Basetsana from 3pm South African time (2pm Nigeria time) on Sunday, and Coach Peter Dedevbo says his girls will approach it like a ‘Cup final.’
“The result from the first leg is in the past, and we don’t dwell in the past. On Sunday, our objective is to go all out and grab the World Cup ticket.”
NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who is with the U-17 boys that are seeking a fifth FIFA World Cup title in Chile (against Mali also on Sunday), has also called on phone to ginger the Falconets to do Nigeria proud in South Africa.
The Falconets have never failed to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since it was launched in Canada 13 years ago, with two runner –up positions (2010 and 2014), fourth –place finish in 2012 and quarter –final berths in Thailand (2004), Russia (2006) and Chile (2008).
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African final qualifying match between Nigeria’s Falconets and the Basetsana of South Africa will now take place in South Africa on Sunday.
Earlier slated for Saturday, the match has been moved at the instance of the South African Football Association, but the venue still remains the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa (outside Johannesburg), and the match will still kick off at 3pm.
NFF Executive Committee member Ibrahim Musa Gusau, who is also Chairman of Chairmen, will lead the delegation that will be made up of 18 players and 10 technical/backroom staff.
Falconets’ Head Coach, Peter Dedevbo, said on Wednesday that his girls are ready for the big battle, with the fixture delicately poised at 2-1 in favour of Nigeria.
“We wanted to win big in the first leg, but it didn’t happen. Sunday is another day to look for a big win. The fact that we are playing away from home matters little to us.
“Papua New Guinea is a destination for the Falconets next year. Nigeria has never missed any FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and we will not start now.”
Chinwendu Ihezuo scored after the half –hour to put Nigeria ahead and the Falconets then benefitted from an own goal by a Basetsana defender in the first leg. However, a late penalty handed Basetsana a crucial away goal.
Dedevbo added: “We will play with our hearts, with confidence and discipline. We have forgotten entirely about the first leg result, because we know we have to win in South Africa.”
Inneh Queens Chairperson, Falode, Hails Falconets, Eagles…,Decries State Of Women’s League
Foremost Women’s Sportscaster and Chairperson Of Inneh Queens FC Of Benin City, Aisha Falode, has hailed the qualification of the Women’s U20 National team side, the Falconets for the final round of the World Cup.
The Falconets it would be recalled defeated Congo DR 2-1 away from home and won the return leg in Abuja last weekend 2-0, for a 4-1 aggregate win. That has gladdened the heart of Falode, who noted that the lasses have the capacity to go all the way and even win the World Cup. The Falconets were runners-up at the last U-20 championship.
Falode said she was delighted that despite the poor organization and running of the Nigeria Women’s league, the Falconets through share determination and zeal were able to come this far in its bid to qualify for the World Cup. She added that she was doubly sure that the team will overhaul South Africa over two legs to qualify for the World Cup proper and urged the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation to continue to extend its support to the Falconets.
However, Falode decried the poor organization of the Nigerian Women’s League, which she said is very disturbing. “Apart from the fact that we don’t have a sponsor for the league, what we now witness here is walk-over everywhere and that is why almost all the women’s national teams are struggling in all their qualifiers” she declared. She urged the NFF to take more than a parting interest in the Women’s League, as it is capable of employing thousands of young ladies and take them off known vices that they often engage in.
The Sports Diva, also used the opportunity to congratulate the Super Eagles for bouncing back from a 2-0 defeat to DR Congo in Belgium, in an international friendly to whip eternal rivals Cameroun 3-0, in its second game. “It shows that gradually, the character of the team is coming out but they must not rest on their oars but ensure that they keep their legs firmly on the pedals as more challenging qualifiers are ahead of the team”.
The U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, have qualified for the final round of the African qualifying series for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, courtesy of a 4-1 aggregate defeat of their counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup top goalscorer Chinwendu Ihezuo was the heroine of the two legs, scoring both goals in Abuja on Saturday, to add to her goal in Kinshasa two weeks ago, when Nigeria beat the hosts 2-1.
Ihezuo scored her first after only seven minutes at the National Stadium, Abuja, when she capitalized on a defensive mistake by the Congolese and raced unchallenged to slot the ball past goalkeeper Kashala Khonde.
The Congolese refused to be deterred, and played impressively with the petite Salu Lengi, Monique Kipoy and Joelle Muadi showing good skills.
However, the game was all but over after only five minutes into the second half, when Ihezuo again capitalized on a defensive error by the Congolese off a long ball, and held on to secure her brace.
The Falconets, runner-up of the last edition of the competition, will now take on the winner of the fixture between South Africa and Zambia, for a place at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals in Papua New Guinea.
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