The mood in the Super Falcons camp is sky high at the moment after they recorded a resounding comeback 3-2 Group B victory over 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia in Brisbane last Thursday.
It was a game not many gave a chance to the African giants, with bookmakers offering as much as seven odds for the victory. Any punter that staked on such a high outcome would definitely be smiling to the bank by now which reflects the kind of mood the ladies are in.
Indeed, Asisat Oshoala’s jubilation after scoring the third goal off the bench, when she took off her shirt with the entire world seeing her bare chest in amazement, just emphasises how wild the result was and it got top Nigerian figures from the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to incumbent Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello and former Kano state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, all in jubilant mood. Even religious and entertainment figures like Pastor Jerry Eze and Sabinus were not left out of celebrations that went viral on social media.
We still can't get over this Oshoala's celebration ???????? from yesterday win against Australia… What is your best caption for it?#Afrosport #FIFAWWC #Nigeria #SuperFalcons #BeyondGreatness #Oshoala pic.twitter.com/cNDwWQX2yx
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) July 28, 2023
The Super Falcons have done a fantastic job so far in Australia and New Zealand by getting results against two heavyweights in Canada and the Matildas. Their next task is against the Republic of Ireland again in Brisbane on Monday which on paper is simple and straightforward. Nigeria need just a draw against the Girls in Green to make it to the knockout stage in back-to-back tournaments for the very first time. This is really doable considering the fact that the Irish ladies have been eliminated with two defeats from two games and have nothing to play for other than pride.
Again, this should be a walk in the park for the Falcons but as football often portrays, it is easier said than done. Nigeria as a football nation has a habit of underestimating lesser opponents and the reality is it comes back to bite the team. Such examples are evident with the Super Eagles who underestimated Angola during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers and it ultimately led to their failure to make it to Germany at the expense of the less-experienced Black Antelopes. The Super Eagles most-recently showed complacency against Sierra Leone when they locked horns in Benin City during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, taking a comfortable 4-0 first half lead before allowing the Leone Stars to claw their way back with four second half goals to draw the game 4-4. The 1-0 home loss to lowly-ranked Central African Republic during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers is another example.
FT' in Casablanca: We appreciate your support despite ending our #Morocco2022 campaign on a disappointing note. Keep faith! #TeamNigeria 0-1 #TeamZambia#NGAZAM #SoarSuperFalcons
#TotalnergiesWAFCON2022 #WeCountOnYou @thenff pic.twitter.com/T9IMEtnIX3— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) July 22, 2022
The Falcons are not left out in this either. They were gunning for a landmark 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco last year but fell short in the semi-finals against the hosts by losing on penalties, a game that disappointingly saw star players Rasheedat Ajibade and Halimatu Ayinde sent off with the suspension spilling into the ongoing Women’s World Cup. Even the bronze medal match against Zambia, the Nigerian ladies were uninspiring in the 1-0 defeat.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup has already witnessed some upsets, one of them being co-hosts New Zealand’s 1-0 loss to debutants the Philippines. Just when the Football Ferns needed three points to book their place in the knockout stage for the very first time, they failed to do so against an easier opponent after defeating 1995 world champions Norway in their opener and ultimately failed to qualify.
The most recent upset was two-time champions Germany’s 2-1 loss to Colombia on Sunday. DFB-Frauen were off the back of a 6-0 bashing of Morocco and were expected to cruise through against the Colombians. They now need to win against South Korea in their final Group H game to avoid a potential major upset.
The biggest win in @FCFSeleccionCol's #FIFAWWC history. ???? pic.twitter.com/jphBPLWHRM
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 30, 2023
Nigeria have a tendency to do well when the odds are against them but do the opposite when it is supposed to be easily in their favour. The Super Falcons must guard against complacency at every cost against the Irish because for one, Vera Pauw’s team will want to try and bow out with something credible to remember in their debut tournament outing.
That should however not be against the Super Falcons. It is up to to Randy Waldrum and his crew of talented players not to lose guard on the perfect job they have started.
