PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
The last time out Super Falcons and the English Women’s team met, a litre of petrol was N11 at the Tingvallen Karlstad stadium in Sweden and the Falcons were defeated 3-2 in 1995.
The England coach, Sarina Weigman came out unscathed from the group stage, winning all three of their games, scoring an impressive eight goals, and conceding just one and keeping two clean sheets in the process.
The Super Falcons are coming up against a formidable foe, Weigman, which has kept fans and pundits guessing which shape her team will take against England.
She switched from the 4-3-3 that gave England victory in their first two games against Haiti and Denmark to the more intense 3-5-2 that easily pierced through the Chinese defence that resulted in three first-half goals, two disallowed goals, leaving China’s defence in disarray.
After the game, Weigman spoke on the adaptive nature of his team: “I’m very delighted, it shows how adaptive this team is and I think they are enjoying themselves on the pitch.
“I wanted to try other [players], and give Katie [Zelem] some space in the centre to create many opportunities. I think it also is pretty aggressive when Lucy [Bronze] and Rachel [Daly] can just press up quickly, in possession and out of possession today that worked really well.”
Against Ireland, Super Falcons, were pragmatic in their approach, the girls needed to avoid defeat to secure qualification.
Nigerian ladies were wasteful in the final third against Ireland, failing to convert series of chances to goals to put the game to bed.
“We could have won the match and so it almost seems disappointing that we didn’t get the three points,” Persecondnews quotes Waldrum as saying.
Coming up against an English team that have scored 19 goals in seven games and kept four clean sheets, Waldrum will sound it to the girls that there is no space for complacency.
Both teams’ defensive display at the World Cup has been impeccable with two clean sheets each and Super Falcons off-the-ball shape would be key in stopping Lauren James and the attacking threats posed by the English women.
Waldrum is definitely aware of the attacking prowess of the Lioness; the Falcons have to be compact defensively to stop the attacking front four of the English team.
The duo of Ayinde and Ucheibe’s impressive midfield display and the ability to find Ajibade or Kanu on the flank and wing overload would be key in exploiting the gaps left behind when England are on the counter.
In the final third, the movement passes and crosses of Tony Payne with sleek and quick combination play to Oshoala will be a major factor in unlocking the defence of England marshalled by Millie Bright, who plies her trade with London side, Chelsea.
The Nigeria Football Federation President re-echoed the sentiment of every Nigerian in a recent interview.
He said: “The Super Falcons journey at the World Cup will not end with the match against England. I spoke to the team handlers and their optimism of victory will, hopefully, rub off on the girls.”
Key player to watch out for from the Lioness team would be Chelsea star, Lauren James. She is the youngest player to be directly involved in five goals in a single women’s World Cup match, two goals and three assists.
Persecondnews reports that most commonly, an assist is credited to a player for passing or crossing the ball to the scorer.
Asisat Oshoala needs no introduction she is the first African player to score in three consecutive World Cup and also the first African player to win two Champions league
She will be going to toe-to-toe with Manchester City defender, Alex Greenwood, and Chelsea star, Jess Carter.
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