Former stars of the Super Falcons have tipped the team to qualify out of the group stage at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Although Nigeria is considered one of the underdogs of Group B, they are the only nation in this group to have been present at every single Women’s World Cup. At the 2019 World Cup, they made the knockout rounds, and this time around they will be looking to repeat it in a very tough group.
Nigeria was ranked 38 in the World in 2019, compared to 33 in 2015, when they failed to make it out of the group stage. Now they are at number 40, but are still the top-ranked African nation at this year’s World Cup but are by far, the lowest ranked in Group B.
Stella Mbachu, a member of the Falcons squad to four World Cup tournaments (1999-2011), is positive about the Falcons’ chances, saying they can even go beyond Nigeria’s best run at the World Cup.
“Yes, they have the chance to qualify for the knockout stage. Football is all about determination and hard work. If you have all these, I bet you, they will go far. If they act like a team, have courage, believe in themselves, then they can go to any length, they can go far and succeed.
“If they are all determined and work hard, I think they will even go beyond the quarter-final, the Falcons highest achievement at the event in 1999,” she told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Another former Falcons star Patience Avre believes the Nigerians can pull an upset against the favourites in the group.
“Yeah, they’ve come a long way I believe they are going to do well and they are going to shock a lot of people this time. Everyone should watch out for them, I’m seeing them going far.
They will make it out of the group, they have the experience and just need to go out there and do what they know how to do best and the sky is going to be their limit,” she told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Another former Falcons player and assistant coach Maureen Madu told PUNCH Sports Extra she is confident the girls will secure a knockout stage spot.
“I don’t see them failing to come out of that group no matter how tough it is. Every team that is there is well prepared and I believe that the Falcons are also well prepared. So, I just want to encourage them to go in there and do their best, remembering that they are carrying a lot of Nigerians in their hearts.
“Every team there is capable of surprises so they should not look down on themselves because we have players that can match each and every one of our opponents,” she said.
The Falcons will need to show their strength in their first match against Canada on Friday (3:30am Nigerian time). The former African champions played Canada twice in friendlies in 2022, losing one and drawing the other. They did beat Canada in the 2011 World Cup group stage and would be hopeful of a similar result on Friday.
Match two for Nigeria is not any easier as they take on co-hosts Australia. These two sides have only met once, back in the 2015 World Cup group stage with Australia winning that one 2-0. This time around Nigeria will hope to be more organised and stop Australia from dictating the pace.
Facing up against the 22nd ranked Republic of Ireland in their last game, this should be the most open match for Nigeria as they will likely need a win in this match for any hope of making back-to-back knockout rounds.
Nigeria is just one of seven nations to appear at every single edition of the Women’s World Cup and the Falcons will hope to make it back to the quarterfinal stage, which they reached just once, back in 1999.
