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Tag: Super Falcons

  • Super Falcons react as WAFCON 2024 group stage opponents emerge

    Super Falcons react as WAFCON 2024 group stage opponents emerge

    The group stage opponents of Nigeria’s Super Falcons for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 have been decided. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) held the draws at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Morocco on Friday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the draws pitched the Super Falcons in Group B against Algeria, Tunisia, and Botswana, with the Super Falcons eager to reclaim the title, after finishing 4th in the last edition also in Morocco.

    Nigeria has the record of most titles with 11 championship trophy while South Africa are the current champions of the competition having won it on Moroccan soil in 2022.

    “We have been drawn in Group B alongside Algeria, Tunisia, and Botswana for the Morocco 2024 CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations. This promises to be an exciting challenge for us as we aim to reclaim our continental glory,” the Super Falcons wrote via X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the draws.

    TNG reports hosts, Morocco; Zambia, Senegal and DR Congo are drawn in Group A, while defending champions, South Africa; Ghana, Mali and Tanzania emerged in Group C. The 13th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will take place from July 5 to July 26, 2025 in Morocco.

  • BREAKING: Super Falcons to play in Group B of WAFCON 2024, opponents decided

    BREAKING: Super Falcons to play in Group B of WAFCON 2024, opponents decided

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons will play in Group B of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) scheduled to be held in Morocco.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held the final WAFCON 2024 draws on Friday at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Morocco.

    The draw determined the fate of 13 teams that qualified for the top flight African women football tournament, with Nigeria’s Super Falcons eager to reclaim the title, after finishing 4th in the last edition also in Morocco.

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons were drawn in the Group B of WAFCON 2024 along with Botswana, Algeria and Tunisia. In Group A are hosts, Morocco; Zambia, Senegal and DR Congo; while in Group C are defending champions, South Africa; Ghana, Mali and Tanzania.

    TNG reports the women’s tournament, which was earlier scheduled for this year, was later postponed to hold from July 5 to July 26, 2025. CAF President, Patrice Motsepe had earlier explained that this was due to the extensive global football calendar.

    Nigeria has the record of most titles with 11 championship trophy while South Africa are the current champions of the competition having won it on Moroccan soil in 2022.

  • BREAKING: NFF appoints interim coach for Super Falcons

    BREAKING: NFF appoints interim coach for Super Falcons

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved the appointment of Justin Madugu as the interim Head Coach of the Super Falcons, the Nigerian senior women national team.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NFF gave the approval on Thursday, according to the recommendation made by the Technical and Development Sub-Committee of the NFF.

    The appointment of Madugu as the interim Head Coach of the Super Falcons, pending the appointment of a substantive Head Coach, follows the departure of Mr. Randy Waldrum.

    The Super Falcons’ next big engagement is the Women Africa Cup of Nations finals, taking place in Morocco in the summer of next year.

  • PHOTOS: Super Falcons midfielder announces birth of her child

    PHOTOS: Super Falcons midfielder announces birth of her child

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons midfielder, Ngozi Okobi has announced the birth of her child. Ngozi announced the birth of her child via X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

    “Congratulations to me; God be praised; I am a mother; new mom; I am in my new season,” Ngozi, who had been dropped from the Super Falcons by Coach Randy Waldrum, wrote via X.

    Ngozi played the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with the Falconets. She got her first senior call up immediately after the U-17 tournament in 2010.

    With the Super Falcons, she was part of the squads at the African Women’s Championship tournaments of 2010, 2012 and 2014, winning two of them (2010 and 2014). She also played for Nigeria at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    However, she was conspicuously absent from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad and has not returned to the national team since then. Recently, she took a break after Randy Waldrum dropped her from the Super Falcons.

    She married her husband, Okeoghene in 2017 and continued playing football for several years before the arrival of her child.

  • FIFA Rankings: Super Falcons rated 36th best in the world

    FIFA Rankings: Super Falcons rated 36th best in the world

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons have retained their 36th position in the latest FIFA women’s world ranking released on Friday.

    The Super Falcons also continue to hold the top spot in Africa.

     

    Randy Waldrum’s team had a disappointing performance at the 2024 Olympic Games, losing all three group games to Brazil, Spain, and Japan.

     

    The United States of America reclaimed the number one spot in the rankings after winning the gold medal in the women’s football event at the Olympics. World champions Spain dropped to third place after finishing fourth at the Olympics.

     

    The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking will be released on December 20, 2024.

  • Paris 2024: Nigeria’s Super Falcons crash out of Olympic Games

    Paris 2024: Nigeria’s Super Falcons crash out of Olympic Games

    The Super Falcons’ campaign at the Paris Olympics has come to an end following a 3-1 defeat to Japan in their final Group C match. This loss sealed their disappointing exit from the competition.

    Having lost their first two games against Brazil and Spain, Nigeria entered Wednesday’s match with a slim chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.

    However, Japan dashed those hopes by scoring twice within ten minutes, starting from the 22nd minute, leaving Coach Randy Waldrum’s team without a path forward.

    The results meant that  Spain who defeated Brazil 1-0 in the other group C encounter finish top of the group while Japan come in second.

    Meanwhile, Brazil who defeated Nigeria in the first game of  group C finish in third position and will now proceed to the quarter -finals as one of the best third places teams in the competition.

  • Super Falcons eye victory over Japan to secure Olympic Quarter-Final Spot

    Super Falcons eye victory over Japan to secure Olympic Quarter-Final Spot

    Despite narrow defeats in their last two matches of the Women’s Football Tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Super Falcons are hopeful of securing a commanding victory against Japan at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Wednesday. A win could earn them a spot in the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams.

     

    The Super Falcons previously defeated Japan in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Piraeus, Greece, in 2004. Vera Okolo’s goal secured the victory, marking Nigeria’s only quarter-final appearance and their sole win in the Olympics since their participation began 24 years ago.

     

    “Victory over Japan is possible. We will work hard to accomplish that. The Super Falcons have done it before, and we can do it again,” said captain Rasheedat Ajibade.

     

    In their recent game against world champions Spain on Sunday, Ajibade, Asisat Oshoala, and Chinwendu Ihezuo missed key opportunities to score, which would have made them only the fourth-ever Nigerian scorers in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.

     

    Mercy Akide-Udoh, now FIFA’s Goodwill Ambassador for Women’s Football, holds the record as Nigeria’s top scorer with four goals. She scored twice at the Sydney Olympics, in the 1-3 losses to Norway and the USA, and twice more in Athens, in the 1-2 defeats to Sweden and Germany.

     

    Four-time African Player of the Year Perpetua Nkwocha follows with two goals, scored in the 1-3 defeat by China in 2000 and the 1-3 loss to Brazil in 2008.

     

    Vera Okolo’s lone strike secured the historic win over Japan in Athens.

  • Paris 2024: Spain coach hails Falcons’ goalie, Nnadozie’s heroics

    Paris 2024: Spain coach hails Falcons’ goalie, Nnadozie’s heroics

    The coach of the Spanish senior female national team, Montserrat Tomé has hailed Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie for her heroic display during both sides’ Paris 2024 Olympic clash on Sunday in Nantes, France.

    Nnadozie was at her usual best during the second group C encounter.

    Nigeria had chances to break the deadlock before Alexia Putellas’ winner but failed to score as the match ended 1-0 in favour of Spain.

    The Super Falcons showed flashes of brilliance in the game.

    Captain of the side,  Rasheedat Ajibade had two chances but fluffed them.

    Speaking to reporters after the game against Nigeria, Tome praised Nnadozie.

    “I’m very happy. They had already ruled out a goal by Salma, which was offside. We had chances, Aitana had them, Alexia had them too, others,” Tome said.

    “We knew that Nnadozie was a good goalkeeper. In addition, her style of play conditioned us a lot because of the long shots she has.”

  • Paris 2024: Hope dims as Super Falcons lose again to Spain

    Paris 2024: Hope dims as Super Falcons lose again to Spain

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons, on Sunday, lost their second group C game at the Paris 2024 Olympics to World champions Spain, by a lone goal.

    The defeat means Nigeria will continue the search for their first points of  the tournament as they regroup to face Japan on Wednesday,

    The nine-time African champions, however deserve credit for holding out for 85 minutes against the world champions before conceding a lone goal that handed the Europeans all the three points in Nantes.

    Spain dominated possession, expectedly, and only a masterclass defensive performance by the Falcons restricted them to the 1-0 win.

    For some parts of the game, the Falcons looked dangerous and made efforts in front of goal  when Esther Okoronkwo’s shot in the 23rd minute was pushed away by the goalkeeper when she latched on to a pass from Ajibade.

    Also in the 65thminute when captain Rasheedat Ajibade lifted the ball a little too high when running into a backpass by Asisat Oshoala.

    Oshoala  could have made hay with 18 minutes left, but she went to pass when it appeared easier to go for the kill.

    Earlier in the second half, Salma Paralluelo had the ball in the net as she bundled past Chiamaka Nnadozie from a corner kick, but she was ruled offside.

    With nine minutes to go, Osinachi Ohale cleared from the line as Alexia Putellas, who had been thwarted several times  by Nnadozie, struck from just outside the box.

    Spain got the  winner  in the 85th minute, when the ubiquitous Putellas heaved the ball past Nnadozie straight from a free-kick on the left side of the Nigeria defence.

    The defeat means the Falcons remain pointless in the tournament in Group C, and must achieve a win against Japan at the same venue on Wednesday to stand any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

  • Paris 2024: Gallant Super Falcons lose 1-0 to Spain in Nantes

    Paris 2024: Gallant Super Falcons lose 1-0 to Spain in Nantes

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons will continue their quest for their first points in the 2024 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament against Japan on Wednesday. The nine-time African champions put up a commendable fight against world champions Spain, holding them scoreless for 85 minutes before conceding a single goal that secured Spain’s victory in Nantes on Sunday.

     

    Spain dominated possession as expected, but the Falcons’ exceptional defensive performance limited them to just one goal. The outcome could have been different if captain Rasheedat Ajibade had maintained her balance when she was through on goal in the 36th minute, or if substitute Chinwendu Ihezuo had decided quicker on her action with only the goalkeeper to beat in added time.

     

    The Falcons appeared threatening on counter-attacks at times, such as in the 23rd minute when Esther Okoronkwo’s shot was saved after she received a pass from Ajibade, and in the 65th minute when Ajibade lifted the ball slightly too high after a back pass from Asisat Oshoala. Oshoala herself missed an opportunity with 18 minutes remaining, opting to pass when it seemed easier to attempt a shot.

     

    Earlier in the second half, Salma Paralluelo found the net after a corner kick but was ruled offside. With nine minutes remaining, Osinachi Ohale cleared a shot from Alexia Putellas, who had been repeatedly denied by Nnadozie, just outside the box.

     

    The winning goal came in the 85th minute when the ever-present Putellas scored from a free-kick on the left side of Nigeria’s defense.

     

    The defeat leaves the Falcons without points in the tournament, necessitating a victory against Japan at the same venue on Wednesday to have any hope of advancing to the quarter-finals.