WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
My experience will count says history-making Ebi as Super Falcons renew FIFA World Cup title chase
Nigeria captain and record-setter at the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup that began on Thursday, Onome Ebi, says she’s in ‘absolutely great mood’ ahead of Nigeria’s Group B clash with Canada in Melbourne on Friday afternoon.
The venerable central defender is the oldest player at the competition at the age of 40, and is attending her sixth World Cup finals alongside Canada captain Christine Sinclair and Brazil forward Marta.
“I feel really good about this World Cup. It is going to be a lot different. We are ready and committed as a team to make Nigeria proud. Personally, I am in an absolutely great mood.
“A lot will ride on our first match against Canada and what we’re able to take out of that. Which is why we are fully focused. Since our arrival in Melbourne on Thursday, we have been talking about nothing else. Our spirit is high, and we are confident of a positive result.”
Nigeria and Canada go toe-to-toe at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium starting at 12.30pm Friday (3:30am in Nigeria), with Ebi and Sinclair to shake hands in pre-match formalities.
“I respect her for what she has done, scoring 190 international goals. But we will have to put all that aside for the 90 minutes of the match. It is going to be serious business,” Ebi said.
The Nigeria defender will win her 108th cap in Friday’s tie, while playing her 15th FIFA World Cup match.
Nigeria reached the Round of 16 at the last tournament in France four years ago, but Ebi says the Super Falcons are aiming higher this time around.
“Our target is high, but we want to take it one match at a time. The focus for now is Canada, and then we can plan and strategize for the next opponents after that. We are committed to making our country proud.”
Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.
They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.
Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.
Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash
The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.
Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.
The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.
The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.
According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.
During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.
The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.
The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket
The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.
Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.
They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.
Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.
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