In under three weeks this year’s women’s football world cup will begin in Canada. African champions Nigeria’s Super Falcons have wrapped up their training in Abuja as they head off to North America. Nigeria have dominated women’s football on the continent since the African Women’s Championship (AWC) was first staged. The Super Falcons have won seven of nine tournaments and the two times they have not won the competition it did not double as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their overall record at the AWC is a remarkable 36 wins and five draws in 45 matches.
They secured their ticket to Canada by winning the ninth AWC in Namibia in October, winning all five matches they played, scoring 16 goals in the process and conceding just three. They topped their group after comfortable victories against Namibia, Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire, before beating South Africa 2-1 in the semi-finals. In the championship match they secured a 2-0 victory against Cameroon.
The Super Falcons have achieved success playing an all-out attacking style of play and it is not surprising that the top two scorers from the African championship were Nigerian.But with nine goals between them, Desire Oparanozie (five) and Asisat Oshoala (four) eclipsed the total scored by any other team that played in Namibia. Although only 20, Oparanozie is vastly experienced, having represented their country at the 2011 World Cup in Germany, the 2010 and 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the 2008 U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Oshoala played at the last two U-20 World Cup competitions and won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot award at Canada 2014. Nigeria will be hoping that the two players can take their form from Namibia to Canada. The Super Falcons defence will undoubtedly have more to do in Canada than they did in Namibia and coach Edwin Okon can depend on veteran Onome Ebi and Osinachi Ohale to marshal the defence.
