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Tag: World cup

  • FIFA Women’s World Cup: Super Falcons captain says team positive ahead of Ireland clash

    FIFA Women’s World Cup: Super Falcons captain says team positive ahead of Ireland clash

    History-making captain Onome Ebi says the Super Falcons are gingered and in a super positive mood ahead of Monday evening’s Group B cracker against the Republic of Ireland at Brisbane’s Lang Park.

    The 40-year-old became one of the oldest women to have featured at the FIFA Women’s World Cup when she was introduced into the game against co-hosts Australia at the same venue on Thursday.

    She’s also one of the few women, and the only one from the African continent, to have played in six finals, alongside Brazil’s Marta and Canada’s Christine Sinclair.

    “We are very positive and looking forward to the match. The mood in camp is great and everyone is in high spirits. The win against Australia has given us the belief and the confidence to face any team. We will play for a win.

    “We want Nigerians all over the world to continue to support us and believe in the team. That alone gives us great motivation. We have won one match and drawn one. We want to set the record of not losing any match in the group phase and topping our group.”

    When the Falcons reached the knock-out rounds in the USA in 1999, the team lost to hosts USA before defeating North Korea and Denmark to make the quarter-finals. Mercy Akide and Rita Nwadike scored in the 2-1 win over North Korea, while Akide and Nkiru Okosieme scored in the 2-0 win over Denmark.

    In 2019, when they reached the Round of 16, the nine-time African champions lost 0-3 to Norway and 0-1 to hosts France, on either side of a 2-0 defeat of South Korea, with Asisat Oshoala scoring after an own goal by the Koreans.

    “We know we still have a job to do; we are not deterred. We simply go in there and play for a win,” Ebi added.

    The Falcons, top of the pool with four points, take on the ‘Girls in Green” on Monday night starting from 8pm Australia time (11am Nigeria time) with the Irish already eliminated from the tournament.

    Co-hosts Australia tackle Canada in the other match of the group that will be played simultaneously. The Canadians are also on four points, with the Matildas on three.

    With a win in mind, Nigeria could start with a forward-line of record-breaker Asisat Oshoala, and Uchenna Kanu (who scored the first goal against Australia), with Rasheedat Ajibade and Ifeoma Onumonu operating from the wings.

  • #FIFAWWC: FG reacts over Super Falcons performance

    #FIFAWWC: FG reacts over Super Falcons performance

    The Federal Government has charged the Super Falcons to continue to raise the country’s flag high at
    the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, New Zealand.

    Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja in a statement by  Mohammed Manga, Director Press in the ministry.

    Abubakar congratulated the team for putting up a superlative performance to defeat co-hosts Australia 3-2 in Brisbane at the ongoing mundial.

    He stated that Nigerians have been following the games with keen interest and delighted at their display of skill and team work since the beginning of the Competition.

    “We have followed your games and want to thank you for doing the nation proud, thus putting a smile on the faces of Nigerians.

    “We commend you, your coaches and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the good job done so far,” he said.

    The permanent secretary urged the team to take their last group game even more seriously to ensure qualification for the knock out stage.

    “You cannot afford to rest on your oars, take the next game against the Republic of Ireland with full determination to succeed as you took your first two games.

    “Give it your very best,  which is your 100 per cent assurance to win. We are solidly behind you,” he said.

    Abubakar assured  that the ministry will continue to create an enabling environment for sports development in the country so as to enable its athletes excel at the international stage.

    The Super Falcons on Thursday shocked co-hosts Australia 3-2 in an highly entertaining match, in their second Group B game.

  • FIFA Women’s World Cup: I will give my all – Oshoala vows after setting new record

    FIFA Women’s World Cup: I will give my all – Oshoala vows after setting new record

    Nigeria’s Super Falcons and FC Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshoala has reacted after making an impressive performance against the Matildas of Australia on Thursday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Nigeria’s Super Falcons stunned co-host Australia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup after coming from behind to win 3-2 at Brisbane Stadium.

    Oshoala set a record as the first Nigerian player to score in three World Cups. She represented Nigeria at the 2015, 2019  World Cups and scored in all before Thursday’s goal against Australia in 2023.

    Speaking after the game, Oshoala said she is very excited to have scored against the co-host and also willing to score plenty of goals at the competition.

    Asked what she feels by not starting, the prolific scorer said that she felt sick and only managed to feature for Nigeria in the game.

    “This tournament, I am going to make sure I give everything. Nigeria is the best country in the world,” Oshoala said.

    In a dramatic end to the first half, Emily Van Egmond gave Australia the lead only for Nigeria to equalise before the half-time whistle and then score twice in the second half to secure victory in Group B.

    The victory is the first Super Falcons win at the 2023 edition of the tournament after their opener against Canada ended in a barren draw.

    Australia edged ahead in the first minute of added time at the end of the first half.

    Van Egmond guided her shot beyond Chiamaka Nnadozie following Caitlin Foord’s low cross into the penalty area.

    But Nigeria equalised in the sixth minute of added time.

    This was when Rasheedat Ajibade’s shot deflected towards the far post to Uchenna Kanu, who placed her shot through Steph Catley’s legs and beyond Mackenzie Arnold.

    Oshoala’s introduction in the 63rd minute immediately unsettled the Australian defence and Nigeria forged ahead two minutes later when Osinachi Ohale, who was hurt in the process, headed in at the far post after Ajibade’s header was pushed away by Arnold.

    The FC Barcelona’s forward presence unsettled Australia again on 72 minutes as she scored Nigeria’s third goal from a tight angle following a mix-up between Alanna Kennedy and Arnold.

    Kennedy pulled a goal back deep into added time, but the defeat means Australia go into their final group game needing a win  against Canada to guarantee a place in the last 16.

    Meanwhile, Steph Catley, Australia’s captain, who rued her team’s missed goal scoring opportunities, expressed disappointment at the result, adding that the Super Falcons  took their chances and deserved to win.

    “Obviously extremely disappointed. I think this was a massive opportunity for us that we obviously let slide, but it’s tournament football, and this sort of thing happens.

    “It was definitely not our best performance. We created a lot of opportunities that we potentially could have finished – I haven’t seen the statistics, but I assume we had a fair few shots.

    “If some of those go in, maybe it’s a different story, but they [Nigeria] were great on the counter, and they finished their chances,” she said.

    TNG reports Nigeria’s Super Falcons play the Republic of Ireland next.

  • I can’t guarantee every player will receive World Cup bonus – Infantino

    I can’t guarantee every player will receive World Cup bonus – Infantino

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said on Wednesday that he can’t guarantee that football federations will distribute the bonus payments promised every player at the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

    “We are moving of course in the right direction, we have been consulting with associations, with players, to try to go in the right path,” Infantino said at a  news conference.

    “We have issued these recommendations, but we have an association of associations. So whatever payments we do, we will go through the associations and then the associations will, of course, make the relevant payments to their own players,” he added.

    Football governing body FIFA will pay out $110 million in total prize money to the 32 teams at the 2023 World Cup, a significant increase compared to $30 million in 2019 and $15 million in 2015.

    Under the guarantees, each player participating in the World Cup will receive a minimum of $30,000. However, there is no mechanism to directly pay the players the money.

    During the news conference, Infantino also brushed off calls from World Cup co-hosts Australia for equal pay in football ahead of the beginning of the tournament.

    In 2022, FIFA paid a total of $440 million to the teams competing at the men’s World Cup in Qatar.

    Infantino previously said that FIFA’s goal is to equalise the prize money by the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 women’s edition.

    On Monday the Matildas, as the Australian women’s national football team is known, criticized FIFA for not giving women the same prize money as the men.

    Asked for his view on the criticism on Wednesday, Infantino said this was a time to “focus on the positives.”

    “Today is the eve of the opening game at the Women’s World Cup…it’s a moment to focus on the positives, to focus on the happiness and the joy,” Infantino told reporters in Auckland.

    “Until the final on Aug.20, you will hear from me only positive things.”

    “If somebody’s still not happy about something, well I’m sorry. I’m happy with everything and I love everyone.”

    In a video published on Monday in which all 23 Australia squad members voiced their opinion, midfielder Tameka Yallop said, FIFA had a long way to go towards equal pay which has been achieved in Australia for the Matildas and the men’s team, known as the Socceroos.

    “Collective bargaining has allowed us to ensure we now get the same conditions as the Socceroos, with one exception.

    FIFA will still only offer women one quarter as much prize money as men for the same achievement,” she said.

    The Matilda’s reached equal pay a few years ago when the Australian FA agreed to pay the men and women the same base fee from tournament prize money.

    They are one of only very few World Cup teams to have achieved that at domestic level.

    Hosts Australia and New Zealand kick off the tournament on Thursday against Norway and Ireland, respectively. The final is scheduled for Aug. 20.

  • World Cup qualifiers: Gernot Rohr anxious to meet Super Eagles

    World Cup qualifiers: Gernot Rohr anxious to meet Super Eagles

    Former Super Eagles manager and current Benin’s national team coach, Gernot Rohr, has expressed his anticipation in clashes with the Super Eagles as the two countries prepare to face each other during the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    The 2026 World Cup African qualifications placed Nigeria and Benin in Group C alongside South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

    Acknowledging Nigeria’s impressive record as three-time African champions and frequent participants in the World Cup, Rohr admits that they are the clear favorites in the group.

    However, the contest gains further intrigue as South Africa, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe will engage in a Southern African derby, while Nigeria and Benin will create a West African derby.

    “Benin fell into an extremely tough group, with obviously Nigeria as the favorite, a team we know quite well. But also the others, that is to say South Africa, already qualified for the next AFCON very early with a new state of mind,” the Franco-German technician told 24HauBenin.

    “Of course, there is also Zimbabwe, which has a very strong physical team, and Rwanda, which we know quite well. And then there is also Lesotho, a country we are familiar with because Benin has played against them.

    “It will be goals against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, which are geographically very close. As well as Nigeria and Benin, who are also neighbors. It’s really a group of people who know each other, making it an extremely technical and physical challenge.”

    Before he was disengagedl in December 2021, Rohr was Nigeria’s longest-serving head coach.

    Under his guidance, the Super Eagles secured a spot in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and achieved a commendable third-place finish in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Rohr expressed his eagerness to lead the Benin team against Nigeria and reunite with his former Super Eagles players. He hopes that Benin can give their best performance against the three-time continental champions.

    Rohr stated, “We hope that Benin can play a good role in this Group C, which is a very difficult and challenging group, but also very interesting.

    “Personally, I will have reunions with players in the Super Eagles squad. We will be keen to give our maximum effort against this great footballing country.”

    It is worth noting that Benin have never qualified for the World Cup and has yet to secure a victory against the Super Eagles in a competitive match.

    However, with Gernot Rohr at the helm, the Squirrels will aim to overcome these challenges and make their mark in Group C.

  • The NFF and Super Falcons’ shaky World Cup preparation

    The NFF and Super Falcons’ shaky World Cup preparation

    By Kayode Adebiyi and Ijeoma Okigbo

    As preparations for the 9th edition of the FIFA Women World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand continue, the camp of Africa’s most successful female national team, the Super Falcons, seems to be in disarray.

    Nigeria’s senior female national football team, which is among a select group of elite teams making a record 9th appearance at the event, leads South Africa, Zambia and Morocco as Africa’s representatives.

    However, the team, not strange to controversies over poor preparation and remuneration issues, has found itself in yet another avoidable storm, this time between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum.

    It began when Waldrum, in a chat with ‘On The Whistle’ podcast, challenged NFF, claiming that he was owed 14 months’ salary until a few weeks ago when the NFF paid for seven months.

    Waldrum is also the coach of the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Soccer team,

    He also said that FIFA had in October 2022 disbursed $960,000 to all the teams that qualified for the World Cup to prepare for the tournament.

    The coach also mentioned a backlog of bonuses dating back to 2021 being owed to some players.

    “It’s been very frustrating in recent weeks, months with the federation and lack of support we have gotten in different levels.

    “I think we have had five international windows over these last months to get ready.

    “But the hard part is that we are supposed to have had a camp in Nigeria for about 10 or 12 days before going to Australia for another 15 days.

    “But for whatever reason, the federation canceled the camp in Nigeria.

    “So instead of being able to look at all the players again and bring in a few more, I had to just pick the final 23 based on the last camp”, he said.

    In an equally explosive response, the NFF, through its Director of Communication, Demola Olajire, accused Waldrum of incompetence.

    “He is an incompetent loudmouth who has found his voice now that he is about to achieve his only ambition of leading a national team to the women’s World Cup”, Olajire fired back.

    On the $960 FIFA disbursement, the federation seemed to hint that the money had been spent.

    “Everyone knows that FIFA pays preparation money for every team going to the World Cup.

    “The team travelled to Japan to play matches, Mexico for a tournament and travelled to Turkey to play matches. Is it Mr Waldrum that has been paying for the trips?”

    Also, in a leaked private telephone conversation, Olajire made several allegations against Waldrum, including poor judgment, team selection, and discrimination against home-based players.

    The NFF was also accused of saying that it will not pay the players’ bonuses because FIFA will do so through the $30,000 it earmarked for each player during the first round of the tournament.

    The world football ruling body pledged to pay more as teams progress.

    This has caused skirmishes between the players/team officials and the federation.

    But football enthusiasts believe that the NFF cannot and should not exonerate itself from a problem.

    In 2019, during the last edition of the event in France, Super Falcons refused to leave their hotel in protest against the non-payment of bonuses by the NFF.

    A player who spoke to the press alleged that they were owed allowances for matches played two and three years before then and five-day camp bonuses for the World Cup.

    At last year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), players failed to return to training for their third-place match against Zambia over unpaid allowances, having lost to Morocco in the semi-finals.

    In 2016, when the team won the continental showpiece for the eighth time, players refused to leave their hotel in Abuja until they were paid their allowances and bonuses.

    Football enthusiasts say recurring debates over poor preparations and the inability to pay allowances and bonuses during every major tournament tell on the team’s morale and performance.

    Ranked 40th in the world and first in Africa, the Super Falcons have not really flourished at the highest level of national team football in spite of parading some of the greatest stars in the game.

    The farthest the team had gone at the World Cup was in 1999 when they reached the quarter-final stage.

    Even on the continent, Super Falcon’s dominance is being challenged by the likes of South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Zambia and Cote D’Ivoire.

    As favorites at last year’s WAFCON in Morocco, the former champions could only manage a fourth-place finish which earned it the final African ticket on the road to Australia and New Zealand.

    Women’s football aficionados warn that the Super Falcons could begin to experience a steady decline if the NFF does not put its house in order.

    While some are of the opinion that the federation’s persistent cold treatment of the Super Falcons has a gender undertone, others are quick to point out similar treatment against the male national team, the Super Eagles.

    “Even during the last AFCON, there was a rift between the NFF and the Super Eagles over match bonuses.

    “In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari had to order a full-scale investigation into the Super Eagles players’ unpaid match bonuses and entitlements at the AFCON in Egypt.

    “So, the lapses you see the national teams experience before major tournaments have nothing to do with whether it’s the male or female team,” an ex-Super Eagles player said.

    The Falcons kick off their campaign on July 21 against Canada in Group B which also has hosts Australia and the Republic of Ireland.

    While supporters back home will be hoping that the team betters its 1999 feat this time around, the irascible salvos between Waldrum and the NFF will be referenced in the event of a lackluster outing.

    NAN

  • U-20 W/Cup Qualifiers: Nigeria to clash with Burundi in October

    U-20 W/Cup Qualifiers: Nigeria to clash with Burundi in October

    Nigeria’s Falconets will trade tackle with the Burindi U-20 female national team i in the second round of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

    The draw was drawn today at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) secretariat in Cairo, Egypt.

    The first and second-leg matches will be played between October 6 and October 15.

    The winners of the tie will proceed to the third round of the qualifiers scheduled for between November 12 to November 19.

    Afriva has been given two slots for the World Cup holding next year.

    The Falconets were semi-finalists in the last edition of the World Cup held in France in 2022.

  • Women’s W/Cup: Players to get $30,000 each as prize money

    Women’s W/Cup: Players to get $30,000 each as prize money

    Players at the Women’s World Cup will be guaranteed at least 30,000 dollars each after FIFA decided to disburse some of the prize money to individuals rather than national federations.

    All 23 members of the winning team will take home 270,000 dollars each, part of a 110 million dollars total prize pool that is roughly 300 per cent higher than what FIFA offered for the 2019 tournament.

    The 30,000 dollars minimum directed prize money is more than twice the average salary of 14,000 dollars for paid players surveyed in FIFA’s 2022 benchmarking report.

    In March, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, pledged at the FIFA Congress that organisers would direct prize money towards the players, a first for the women’s tournament, which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

    For the upcoming Women’s World Cup, member-associations will also receive increased funding based on performance, with winners taking 4.29 million dollars home and delegations earning 1.56 million dollars for participating in the group stage.

    The total performance-based prize funds still significantly trail what was on offer at the men’s tournament last year, where 440 million dollars total prize fund was awarded.

    FIFA has made it clear to national federations that it expects that the amount retained by member-associations would be reinvested in their footballing activities, including coaching staff, grassroots projects, youth national teams and women’s football capacity-building programmes.

    FIFPRO said the news “represents not only the outcome of tremendous global collective action by 150 national team players, but a constructive negotiation with FIFA over the past months.”

    “They have listened to the voice of the players and we have taken steps toward greater gender equity in our game at the highest levels,” the global soccer players union said in a statement.

  • Israel send Brazil out of U20 FIFA World Cup in historic win

    Israel send Brazil out of U20 FIFA World Cup in historic win

    An exquisite solo goal scored by Dor Turgeman saw debutants Israel come from behind to defeat five-time champions Brazil 3-2 in an instant FIFA U-20 World Cup classic.

    Israel will now play the USA-Uruguay winners in the semi-finals in La Plata, while A Seleção will have to pack their bags for the journey home.

    Israel had the better of the first half, but Brazil had its best chance following fine play from Savio down the right, Marquinhos’s effort from the back post, yards out, was kept out by the leg of Tomer Zarfati.

    Marcos Leonardo’s excellent strike with his weaker left foot put Brazil ahead at the start of the second in the 56th minute.

    But Anan Khalaili equalised with the header of the tournament, barely four minutes later in the 60th minute.

    Kaique then pulled off a superb save to deny Turgeman and send the game to extra time.

    Extra time held more drama and goals than an average 90-minute match.

    Andrey Santos’s exquisite flick set up Matheus Nascimento to restore Brazil’s lead in the 91st minute.

    But Hamza Shibli turned a cross in at the back post immediately to level things up again in the 93rd minute.

    The decisive moment came at the end of the first half of extra time when Turgeman dribbled through Brazil’s defence before unleashing an unstoppable curler past Kaique in the 105th minute.

    An incredible second period of extra time saw Israel fail to score from the penalty spot twice, but Ofir Haim’s side were able to hold on and complete an historic victory.

    The result meant Israel became the first debutants to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA U-20 World Cup in eight years, since Senegal achieved the feat in 2015.

  • FIFA U-20 World Cup: Nigeria stun hosts Argentina, advance to quarter-finals

    FIFA U-20 World Cup: Nigeria stun hosts Argentina, advance to quarter-finals

    Nigeria eliminated host nation Argentina as goals from Ibrahim Muhammad and Rilwanu Haliru Sarki sent the six-time champions out of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday.

    On an incredible night in western Argentina, the Flying Eagles pulled out every trick in the book to defend in numbers and then score two goals through quick counter-attacks.

    The performance in this round of 16 match had the Albiceleste Sub-20, who had won all their three matches in the group phase, stunned as they crashed out of the tournament.

    Nigeria Head Coach Ladan Bosso had promised that his boys would give as much as they got, and they did that and more with clear intent from the ninth minute.

    That was when a snapshot by Ibrahim Muhammad on the edge of the penalty box went narrowly off.

    There were even exchanges afterwards, and the South Americans came close with a header in the 39th minute.

    But the Flying Eagles returned with more stamina and guile in the second half and completely dominated the hosts in front of nearly 30,000 fans in San Juan.

    Goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso had saved from Barco in the 51st minute and Jude Sunday’s shot was held by the opposition goalie.

    Thereafter the two-time silver medallists struck the underside of the bar with an intelligent shot from the edge of the box by Tochukwu Nnadi in the 58thminute.

    The hosts did escape there, but would not be that lucky three minutes later, when from a long Aniagboso ball out, substitute Emmanuel Umeh found an onrushing Muhammad.

    He stretched beyond the attention of two defenders and pushed the ball beyond the advancing goalkeeper into the net.

    Two minutes later, Umeh could have turned goalscorer when he ran powerfully down the left and planted himself in a good position, but dragged his shot a little too wide.

    Carboni saw his shot held by the calm Aniagboso and then headed wide, before Umeh again came close only to be foiled with the goalkeeper beaten.

    The nifty Romero hit the upright with a deceptive shot in the 83rd minute.

    Also, Abel Ogwuche cleared the ball as two Argentines were set to pull the trigger in the 85th minute with things becoming really anxious.

    The hosts, who are under the tutelage of the legendary Javier Mascherano, poured forward in search of the equaliser, and were then open to a sucker punch.

    AC Milan’s Victor Eletu showed tenacity to hold on to another long Aniagboso ball out of defence.

    He then lifted for Haliru Sarki to nod into the net with aplomb for Nigeria’s second with one minute into added time.

    The victory somewhat atoned for Argentina’s 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in the final of the 2005 edition of the competition in The Netherlands.

    That was when Lionel Messi scored twice from the penalty kick spot to deny the African champions.

    Victory took the Flying Eagles to the quarter-finals, where they meet the winners of the Ecuador/South Korea Round of 16 duel to be decided on Thursday.