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Ex-Internationals Want Falconets Promoted

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Former Nigeria internationals, Paul Hamilton and Joe Erico, have called for the promotion of Falconets to the senior female national team to ensure a good run for the country next year.

Germany, 2-0 winners over the Falconets in the U-20 championship final last Sunday, hosts the Women’s World Cup in 2011.

An early goal scored by tournament’s top scorer, 10-goal heroine, Alexandra Popp and an added time own goal earned the German hosts the trophy.

They also became the first host to clinch the trophy since the inaugural tournament in 2002 in Canada.

Hamilton, who led Nigeria’s Super Falcons to the maiden female World Cup in China in 1991, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team throughout the championship.

“The Falconets’ feat in this tournament as the first African country to play in the final of any female World Cup gladdens my heart.

“The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should ensure that the team is intact for Nigeria to do well at the forthcoming senior female world championship in Germany in 2011.

“The emphasis for now should be on continuity. The players should be kept together to mature to the senior national team,” the former Green Eagles coach said.

Hamilton, fondly called the ‘Wonder Boy’ in his playing days, called for better organised and improved funding for the female league in Nigeria if the country must surpass the achievement of the Falconets.

“We have abundant female football talents in this country. But a lot still need to be done in the area of administration.

“More international friendly matches should be arranged for the female teams to provide them with the much needed exposure,” he added.

Erico, former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer, said the Falconets gave a good account of themselves in Germany.

“I am impressed with their style of football. They should be allowed to graduate to the senior national team,” Erico said.

He, however, called on government, corporate organisations and wealthy individuals to sponsor the girls’ education.

“These are young girls who should be in school like their German counterparts.

The emphasis should be on the education of the players, not monetary donation alone,’’ said the former national goalkeeper.

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City’s January Spending Propelled By Fears Of Transfer Ban?

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Pep Guardiola has denied that Manchester City spent big in January in case the club are hit with a transfer embargo for alleged Premier League financial rule breaches.
City splashed out around £170 million ($211 million) on Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez before Monday’s transfer deadline.
They are much-needed reinforcements for a side who are well off the pace in the Premier League and who just scraped into the Champions League play-offs.
Guardiola, whose side edged third-tier Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, was asked whether the club’s striking outlay was triggered by the possibility they would be hit by a transfer ban.

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Chelsea Fall Short Against Brighton

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Brighton came from behind to beat Chelsea and reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Blues took a fortunate lead early on when Cole Palmer’s volleyed cross from the left was fumbled into his own net by Bart Verbruggen.
But Albion came back and Georginio Rutter headed in from Joel Veltman’s cross.
And they took the lead when Rutter picked out Kaoru Mitoma, the subject of a rejected £54m bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr before the transfer deadline, who dinked the ball over Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea felt the goal should have been disallowed, as the ball struck Tariq Lamptey’s arm in the build-up, though there are no video assistant referees in the FA Cup fourth round.
Those goals came from Albion’s only shots in the first 60 minutes.

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FA Cup: Minnows Stun Liverpool, End Dream

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Plymouth Argyle produced a classic FA Cup giant-killing as the Championship’s bottom club stunned Premier League leaders Liverpool at a raucous Home Park.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made 10 changes from the side that swept Tottenham aside to reach the Carabao Cup final and paid the price as Plymouth made the most of the opportunity to secure a place in the fifth round.
A scrappy tie came to life eight minutes after the interval when Plymouth were awarded a penalty after Harvey Elliott’s handball, Ryan Hardie drilling home the spot-kick in emphatic fashion.
Hardie almost added a second shortly afterwards when his shot was turned on to the post by Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Liverpool applied some pressure in the closing stages, keeper Conor Hazard saving superbly from Diogo Jota then miraculously from substitute Darwin Nunez’s header, but Plymouth closed out a landmark win under new manager Miron Muslic.
Plymouth’s atmospheric Home Park erupted with a deafening roar as the final whistle sounded on a victory they will recall forever in Devon.
The sinking of Liverpool was a triumph for Plymouth’s charismatic manager Muslic, who has won the hearts of the ‘Green Army’ since succeeding the sacked Wayne Rooney.
In a stunning atmosphere, Plymouth sensed their chance when Liverpool’s teamsheet landed, with stellar names such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk not even on the bench.
Plymouth, as they had to, made the tie a scrap and then the decisive moment came when Elliott needlessly handled, allowing Hardie to assume the role of match-winner.
And they found a hero in keeper Hazard in those closing moments as he saved from Jota, then miraculously from Nunez’s header.
The main priority remains survival in the Championship, but the FA Cup demonstrated its enduring magic by producing a result that Plymouth hope will help their fight to stay up

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