The Captain of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Onome Ebi has said that Falcons are up for the challenge as they look forward to the quarter-final fixture against Cameroon at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations which will hold on Thursday at the Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca.
A place in the semi-final will guarantee a spot at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Randy Waldrum’s side can boast of a superb record against the Indomitable Lioness in the competition.
Cameroon suffered a 6-0 spanking from the Falcons in the semi finals of the 1998 Women Africa Cup of Nations (which Nigeria hosted and which was the first edition) but things have improved a bit for the Lionesses since then. In the semi finals of the 2010 edition in South Africa, they were thumped 5-1 by the Falcons.
Both countries contested the Final matches of the 2014 and 2016 Women AFCON. In 2014 in Windhoek, Namibia, the Falcons ran away 2-0 winners to lift the trophy for the seventh time. In 2016 in Yaounde, the Lionesses suffered a heartbreak in front of their cheering fans when Desire Oparanozie scored a late goal to hand the trophy to Nigeria for the eighth time.
Four years ago, in Accra, both teams also met in the semi final stage. It was a tough duel that ended 0-0 after regulation and extra time, but the Falcons again prevailed 4-2 after penalty shoot-out on the way to their ninth title.
Ebi insisted that the title holders are up for the challenge once again.
“Of course, we know what to expect. The Cameroonians also want to go to the World Cup. But we have never missed the World Cup and we won’t start now,” the veteran defender told thenff.com.
“Our eyes are fully focused on Australia & New Zealand, and then we can start talking about the trophy.”
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
