By Harry Awurumibe
After a very poor outing in the last FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final played in Papua New Guinea where Nigeria’s Falconets crashed out in the Group stage, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will tomorrow present a new set of team to tackle a determined Tanzanian squad in the first leg African qualifier match slated for Samuel Ogbemudia stadium Benin City, Edo State.
The new Falconets team is being handled by experienced women football coach, Christopher Danjuma who was once Assistant Coach of the Super Falcons and currently working as the Technical Adviser of Nasarawa Amazons FC of Lafia.
The coach and his three assistants had three weeks ago commenced the training of the 30 players invited from top clubs across the country. The Falconets had within the short time in camp in Abuja played a total of six Test Matches.
The team drew the first two games with Abuja- based U-16 Boys 2-2 but bounced back to thrash Beautiful Tour Babes 8-0 and followed it with 9-0 white-wash of another Women team. Falconets later defeated Almond Academy 6-1 before battling to another 2-1 victory over Fasial U-16 Boys team from Nasarawa state.
With these series of heartwarming results, Coach Danjuma and his squad left Abuja on Tuesday for Benin City, Edo State where the crucial match between Nigeria and Tanzania will hold on Saturday, September 16, 2017.
The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki on behalf of the Government and people of Edo graciously offered to host the match to the delight of the NFF. The leadership has since done the needful to ensure that Nigeria beats Tanzania.
Interestingly, Coach Danjuma has disclosed that he will field an experienced squad made up of young talented Players who came through the ranks of U-17 national women team, Flamengos.
They include agile goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Joy Duru, midfielder Christy Ucheibe, attackers Rashidat Ajibade, Cynthia Aku and Biola Ijamilusi.
Yet, there are no fewer than five players in the last team who are still within the age bracket that the coach will tell upon to defeat the Tanzanian opponents. Among them is the lanky attacker, Charity Reuben who will be a handful for the Tanzanians.
In his part, Coach Danjuma and his gang have had a full three days of training sessions inside the match venue and are poised to unleash soccer mayhem on the visitors who unfortunately missed their connecting flight on Thursday in Abuja and that left them with just one training session inside Samuel Ogbemudia stadium pitch on Friday evening.
With the two teams lodged at Prestige Hotel, Benin City, the die is cast for the gladiators to do battle in the pitch to determine the superior of the two.
But Coach Danjuma is upbeat that his girls will deliver on the day, pointing out that” we have a history of Nigeria qualifying for all FIFA women’s football competitions so I told this present squad that we have to play for ourselves, families and country.”
