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2022 WAFCON Qualifier: Super Falcons, Black Queens Rekindle Rivalry In Lagos

October 19, 2021 5:48 pm

Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Ghana’s Black Queens will go
neck-and-neck in a 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Wednesday, reports Completesports.com.

Ghana and Nigeria have met in 17 previous matches, with the Super Falcons claiming nine wins – compared to three for the Black Queens – and outscored their opponents 26 goals to 10 in the process.

The Super Falcons have struggled in their last five international outings – losing three of them and leaking 10 goals in the process, including a recent 4-2 humiliating loss to South Africa at the Aisha Buhari Cup.

Despite their poor form midfielder Francis Ordega insists they will leave nothing to chance against the Ghanaians.

“I feel that we are ready judging by the mood of the players in camp and we can’t wait to go out on the pitch,” Ordega told CAFOnline.com.

“Our journey to the 2023 Women’s World Cup starts now and we need to win to make it to the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. If we don’t win, it automatically means that we are not just only going to miss the Women’s AFCON next year but also the World Cup.

“We lost to South Africa (at the Aisha Buhari Cup) but everyone on the team understands what is at stake now, why it is important we redeem our image and also do everything possible to qualify and defend our African title.

“Even though Ghana don’t have some of their best players according to them, we are still not going to underrate them. They are a very good team and tactically sound and one of the best in Africa for a long time. It is going to be a tough and competitive match but we are going to do our best to beat them.”

2022 Women’s AfconQ: 22 Black Queens Invited For Nigeria Games; Elizabeth Addo Dropped

By Talk Sports Ghana. Published 1 day ago

Mercy Tagoe has named a 22-member Black Queens squad for their 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations first round qualifying doubleheader against Nigeria.

Captain of the team Elizabeth Addo has been dropped again from the team after serving what looks like a suspension over a tweet.

In the said tweet, she was demanding friendly games for the doubleheader qualifying games against the Super Falcons.

She was also dropped from the squad that played at the Aisha Buhari Cup in September.

Tagoe has invited four foreign-based players for the games later this month.

Israel-based defender Blessing Shine Agbomadzi has made a return to the squad.

Sweden-based Portia Boakye and Spain-based duo of Princella Adubea and Grace Asantewaa are the others.

Ghana will travel to Nigeria for the first leg game against the Super Falcons on October 20 and play the return fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium four days later.

The winner over the two ties will progress to the playoffs stage and face the winner of either Niger or Ivory Coast.

Full squad

Goalkeepers

Fafali Dumehasi – Police Ladies

Victoria Antwi-Adjei – Kumasi Sports Academy

Mary Neequaye- Immigrations Ladies

Defenders

Gladys Amfobea – Ladystrikers

Ellen Coleman – Ladystrikers

Nina Norshie – Berry Ladies

Janet Egyir – Hasaacas Ladies

Blessing Agomadzi – Hapoel Beer Sheva

Justice Tweneboa – Ampem Darkoa Ladies

Philicity Asuako- Police Ladies

Midfielders

Naomi Anima – Kumasi Sports Academy

Monica Addai – Berry Ladies

Grace Animah – Police Ladies

Grace Acheampong – Ampem Darkoa Ladies

Grace Adams – Berry Ladies

Grace Asantewaa – Real Betis Feminas

Portia Boakye – Dujarden IF

Attackers

Sophia Agyarkwa – Soccer Intellectuals

Vivian Adjei Konadu – Thunder Queens

Elizabeth Owusu – Ampem Darkoa Ladies

Sonia Opoku – Ampem Darkoa Ladies

Princella Adubea – Racing Feminas

Interviewer: We have with us Toni Payne who just joined from Spain. Toni, how delighted are you to be back home?

Toni Payne: Yeah, I'm really excited, it's my first time here in Nigeria and it's a whole other experience for me, so I'm just really happy to be here to represent Nigeria.

Interviewer: You missed out on some of the tournaments we had last, the Aisha Buhari Cup, how did you feel missing out on that?

Toni Payne: Yeah, it was a pity for me that I wasn't able to attend that tournament, but I'm here now to play against Ghana, qualification is really important, so it's an honour for me to be here, so we are all really excited to beat Ghana in the next two games.

Interviewer: Do you think we have a strong side? A lot of people criticised the team following the performance they put up at the Aisha Buhari Cup, but we saw them in Turkey, we saw them at the US Summer Series, do you think this team is strong enough for this stage of the qualifiers?

Toni Payne: Yeah, definitely. I definitely think that we have a really strong team, we have very experienced players and everyone is coming in with a different mentality, obviously, because these two games are really important, so I think everyone is ready.

Oshoala: It's good to be with the girls again. As you can see, everyone is in a competitive mood, we are getting ready for the game against Ghana tomorrow, hoping to give our best and we'll give it the best shot tomorrow.

Interviewer: The game is a very important one, because the team needs to qualify for the Nations Cup to qualify for the World Cup, how are you all taking this game, of course, look at what happened at the ABC tournament?

Oshoala: To be honest, the ABC Tournament, I don't see something really bad that happened or whatever, because, it's a friendly tournament and also we were preparing for this particular game tomorrow and it's only normal for the coaches to try their patterns, try their team, try different stuff for them to get a good team for the game against Ghana. So, I get the whole emotional stuff from the fans, they want us to win and all of that, but we have to understand that being at the best level, it's a process, it's always a process, you don't get to win all your games and then still be the best or whatever. You lose some and that's how you learn. If we keep winning each game, then maybe we don't even know where we need to make proper correction or to make adjustments, so for us it was a good tournament, ABC was good for the team and we hope to make the fans happy again against Ghana.

Michelle Alozie: Hi, I'm Michelle Alozie, defender, number 22, I'm a Nigerian Super Falcon and I'm here with the amazing and super talented Onome Ebi.

Onome Ebi: Hi everyone, it's good to have you here.

Michelle Alozie: So Onome, how does it feel to be here with this super young team, how does it feel to be like a veteran playing here?

Onome Ebi: Yeah, Well I want to say that I'm very grateful to God for still making me be in the team till this day. It's not easy. The journey has not been easy, honestly but with hard work and God by my side I am able to push on, moving forward, meeting amazing Michelle in the team with me at present, I'm really really excited because. . .and again she's my roommate, wonderful girl, dedicated player, hard working player, I'm really excited playing with you.

Michelle Alozie: How does it feel to have won like five major titles? That's amazing!

Onome Ebi: Yeah, like I said, it's not been easy, with hard work, I'm the kind of player that I'm super dedicated, I'm consistent, because I know that will keep me going, I always see myself like a youngster that just started playing, I never see myself like, "Ok, I've won so many trophies, I've played so many competitions"; I just see myself like I'm starting, so I think that gives me the motivation and strength to move on. Really difficult.

Michelle Alozie: So you've been around while we made it to the World Cup and so many different titles, how have you been able to physically stay fit for all of this?

Onome Ebi: My mentality, mental health is always 100% because I know with that I can go more and I don't joke with my training, because I believe with training I can keep fit, even with more age, people are saying, "Oh you are getting old, can you retire"? But no, I feel really strong, I feel like 25 when I'm playing because I don't joke with my training. That's one. And I always try to eat healthy and stay mentally fit and that helps as well.

Michelle Alozie: So when do you think is the time for you to end soccer and just retire?

Onome Ebi: (laughs) Actually, people do ask me that question and my reply to them is it's all *** and God because I don't even know when I'll retire because at this moment I play like I'm just starting and football is something I really love and I would not want to leave playing when I'm still very active, because if I go with what people are saying I would have stopped playing a long time ago and I'm still very fit, so I would just say I leave that to my body and when God says it's time. I work with my body.

Michelle Alozie: When that time does come, what do you think you'll do? Will you stay in soccer, be a coach, a trainer?

Onome Ebi: Ah! Ah! Ah! Honestly, then, when people ask me what I will do after retirement, I tell them I don't think I'll ever be a coach because I don't see myself, I don't think I have that strong energy to be a coach, but after the Covid time when I was alone, I was in Nigeria training by myself, then I realise, hm, I think I can be a coach, because then I had so many young girls coming to train with me and I was so really active training them, so then I felt, OK, I can be a coach, so maybe I can be a coach, because I still want to be in the sports environment. So maybe a coach or agent or something. Definitely still in sports.

Michelle Alozie: Yeah, Coach Onome.

Michelle Alozie: OK, so you've obviously been playing the game for such a long time and I'm a new player here, so any word of advice on how you've been able to stay at the top of every game for so long?

Onome Ebi Yeah, as I said, I'm a girl that likes training. I work really hard, I train really hard and mostly I train with the guys, because I know they are much stronger, so I try to compete with them. So what I will advise the young ones coming up, like you Michelle, is to be focused and always try to go extra in training. Mostly when you are in a club side, after your training you try to do something on your own and that really helps and err, you really have to be focused, consistent, determined and disciplined. I think with all that, the sky is your limit.

Michelle Alozie: Thank you everyone for joining me and Onome here.

When is the game between Nigeria and Ghana and how can I watch?

Shina Oludare
Oct 19, 2021 20:16

Goal brings you everything you need to know about the Super Falcons' African Women's Cup of Nations qualifier against the Black Queens

Nigeria square up against Ghana in a 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualification first round, first leg fixture.

The Super Falcons are hoping to get a good result in Lagos towards making the return leg a formality as they aim to defend their title in Morocco.

The Black Queens are yet to win the biennial African football showpiece – with their best performance a second-place finish in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Morocco 2022 provides them with that chance, albeit, they must negotiate their way past Randy Waldrum’s women.

Naijawhyy:
They'll still will us.
Make dem just return

SensualMan1:
Shameless team. Spits on Nigeria.

This is a year that Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Army to shoot at harmless youths.

felixnkubi:
if oshoala dey barca she go dey play like prime ronaldo, but for some reason hasn't been able to translate that to the national team! annoying honestly

femi4:
Where can I wash it?

Naijawhyy:
They'll still will us.
Make dem just return