Five Lessons Learned From Super Falcons 1 - 1 Draw With Equatorial Guinea

The Nigerian female national team the Super Falcons played out a 1 – 1 draw with their rivals Equatorial Guinea in the Olympic qualifier at the  Abuja National stadium on Saturday.

It was not the best result for the African queen at home if they want to book a ticket for Olympic Games in Rio.

A goal from Halimatu Ayinde in the 25th minute and a 65th minute strike from Nigerian-born Gloria Chinasa Okoro ensures that the game ended a goal apiece leaving the Falcons with more to do Bata or Malabo in Equatorial Guinea. We take a look at what might have gone wrong with the super falcon as they endured a pulsating draw.

LACK OF RESPECT FOR OPPONENTS:

In the wake of the game there was no doubt that the super falcon where the favourite for the tie between them and the Equatorial Guinea counterpart. As they say football is not played on paper but on the pitch.

The Super Falcons failed to acknowledge the strengths and quality of their opponents and lacked respect for their rivals.

Equatorial Guinea is not a new opponent to the Nigerian girls and that alone called for caution but instead the coach of the Super Falcons Chris Danjuma was boastful going into the game that his team will win which they pay dearly for it after Chinasa Okoro equalized for the visitors

The same Equatorial Guinea stopped us in African women championship wins in 2008. This time around the Super Falcons may need to do the needful (showing respect) if they are to escape a possible exit.

OVER RELIANCE ON PLAYERS:

Nigeria as a nation is blessed with immense talent. The nation produce players both in quality and quantity and for that reason we should have more than enough players to choose from at various levels.

The situation here is a different one really as Coach Chris Danjuma has shown his over reliance on some players.

After the game he said that if Asisat Oshoala and Onome Ebi were available that they would have won the game.

Chris Danjuma believes that this two players are key player and may change the course of super falcon’s game.

It is wrong for the coach to rely so much on the two when there are capable replacements. It is counterproductive for the coach to think that way because it will affect the confidence of other players and they may not be able to deliver optimally when called upon.

MAKE NO EXCUSES

Nigerians are known for making excuses especially when it goes the wrong way for them.
If it rains for instance in a stadium and a Nigerian team fails to win, they will say that the pitch was water-logged and therefore affected there free flowing play even when
there opponent were in the same condition.

This time around the coach of the Falcons is citing the death of the Media Officer Gracious Ihunanya Akujuobi on Thursday as one of the reasons forthe inability to kill the game.

The coach said that it affected the team, who were emotionally down following the shock news.

One might argue on that but the fact that the player can take it personally and win the game as a last respect for her can not be overlooked.

Hiding on the fact that Oshoala and Ebi were not available might be an excuse that can cast haze on solution of the problem on ground and with Asisat Oshoala out injured and likely to miss the return leg, the Super Falcons must find a way out without their talisman.

HAUNT/LOSS OF FOREIGN BORN TALENT

The visitors got their equalizer in the 65th minutes off the boot of Nigerian-born forward Chinasa Gloria Okoro.

The Nigerian-born player who natralized to play for Equatorial Guinea came back to haunt her native country after she was not considered at international level.

The former River Angels player who choose to play for Equatorial Guinea when she received a proposal to play for their National Team after playing a cup game with the team of Equatorial Guinea and scoring hat-track with an impressive display.

She did not hesitate that for long knowing that connection is one of the prerequisites for playing for the National Team.

Nigeria need to cast her net wide in tapping all these talents so that we avoid losing them especially to our rivals just as we lost Eniola Aluko the elder sister of Super Eagles forward Omatsone Aluko.

AFRICAN QUEEN THE TEAM TO BEAT

Nigeria’s pedigree in football cannot be hiddened, the Super Falcons pedigree is very high on the continent where the country can boast about the exploit of players like Asisat Oshoala, Evelyn Nwabuoku, Esther Sunday, Desire Oparanozie, Francisca Ordega to name a few.

This alone makes opponent facing the Falcons to be highly equipped going into the tie.
The Nigerian team is always the team to beat and every team within the continent always wants to stop the Super Falcons.

Even the coach of Equatorial Guinea, Miguel Angel Pozanco has vowed to stop Nigeria in Malabo and book a ticket for the Olympic event.

He acknowledges the task ahead but believes they stand a chance to go through.

He says that playing Nigeria in the reverse fixtures will be tasking knowing that Nigeria is the best team in Africa.

Every team are on their guard against the Super Falcons and this should serve as a motivation for the falcons to always keep their foot on the pedal but it appears that may not be the case as their laxity has kept us in a tight corner.

Obiweluozo Martins

Photo Credit : fifa.com