Female World Cup: Fans Optimistic Of Falcons’ Performance

There is no doubt that African female football champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face an uphill task in next year’s World Cup in Germany, but soccer fans are confident that their chances are bright.

The Falcons will face Germany, France and Canada in the first round of the World Cup in 2011 in Germany.

The Falcons are the least ranked of the four teams at 27 in the world. Germany, on the other hand are the world’s number two while France and Canada are eighth and ninth respectively.

Barely 10 days after clinching the African title which they lost two years ago to Equatorial Guinea, the Falcons were humbled 8-0 by one of their first round opponents, Germany.

The loss was blamed on the biting cold in the European country, according to the team’s coach, Eucharia Uche.

Although they will face better ranked sides, Paul Hamilton is optimistic that the girls will clear the first round hurdle by qualifying from the ground for the second round.

Hamilton, the coach of the first-ever Nigerian team to attend the maiden Women’s World Cup in 1991 in China, told Tidesports source that what the team required was early preparation.

“Nigerian fans are hopeful that the Super Falcons will at least qualify behind Germany from that group.

“What we require is early preparation. But from what I heard the team would return to camp in May 2011.

“That will be too late for a championship that has been scheduled for June next year,’’ Hamilton said.

He called on the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to organise top grade international friendly matches against notable women football playing countries in Europe ahead of the competition.

He expressed confidence in the present technical crew of the team.

“Uche Eucharia is a member of the pioneer team to the maiden Women World Cup in 1991 in China and she has attended various coaching courses.

“We stand a better chance of doing well in the competition because the team is a combination of both the old and the new players,” said the coach, who handled both the senior men and women’s teams as well as U-20 boys.

Okunwa Igunbor, former Nigeria international and former coach of the female national U-20 team, also expressed optimism that Nigeria would qualify from the group regarded as ‘very tough’.

She also called for early preparation and acclimatisation in Germany in time before the kick-off.“The team should arrive Germany early for acclimatisation ahead of the championship for them to have an impressive showing at the senior global female soccer fiesta.