Super Falcons are not having it easy in Morocco. Three games in, and they have gone from good to fair, and then not good enough — but Justin Magudu must find a way to get his minions inspired again ahead of a decisive quarter-final against what will be their toughest opponent so far.
The Nigerian contingents, on a mission to reach double digits of crowns in the CAF premier women’s competition, sealed progression from Group C relatively unscathed, following wins over Tunisia and Botswana, before a stalemate in their final group clash with Algeria.
Their performances, however, have left a lot to be desired, even in their dominant 3-0 victory over Tunisia in the opening game. After that clash, defender Ashleigh Plumptre highlighted that although the result was great, the team was lacking in some areas and would look to amend moving forward.
Two games later, all that has been displayed is their diminishing strength. They struggled to break down Botswana in their second game, before a late, late goal from substitute Chiwendu Ihezuo sealed a nervy win.
They didn’t have such luck in their latest outing, where they were forced to a goalless draw by Algeria, who secured runner-up spot in the group as a result.
Super Falcons Better Wake Up or Walk Out
Heading into the quarter-finals against one of the best attacking sides in the tournament, Zambia, it’s time the Super Falcons wake up from their slumber, or walk out of the competition. And elimination at this stage will come with grave consequences.
On Friday, the duo of Barbara Banda and Rachael Kundananji, who have combined for four goal involvements each, will line up on the opposing side, with the intention to put the nine-time champions through their biggest test so far.
Although the Super Falcons will be tagged favourites, it would be inattentive not to note that their dominance has been challenged in recent outings. They remain without a title since 2018 and even finished outside the podium places last time out.
It was Friday’s opponents, Zambia, who defeated them in the third-place match in the last edition, securing their first-ever win over the Falcons with a 1-0 victory, after losing each of their first two meetings by an aggregate of 10-0.
The time to wake up is now, because a quarter-final exit means no FIFA World Cup appearance in the next edition. And while Asisat Oshoala and co. will be hopeful of avoiding disaster, they surely have to do much better than they’ve done in past games.
Zambia will come with the intention to hurt, and a conservative approach will not help the Nigerians. Good luck to them finding their spark again, and in time, because they will need it.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
