Falcons Target 9th AWCON Title, Seek Revenge against Banyana

Super Falcons of Nigeria will not only be hoping to defend the Africa Women Cup of Nations which they won in Cameroon in 2016 to make it their ninth win in the competition but will also be seeking revenge against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa, a sid

After winning the AWCON a record eighth time, the Super Falcons have almost made the biennial competition their birthright, but their first group game against the Bayana Bayana proved they have to earn it as they lost 0-1, which is why today’s final game at the Accra Sports Stadium, Ghana, today, would prove to be a scintillating encounter. While revenge would be at the back of the Falcons’ mind, the girls from South Africa would want to prove that their group stage win was not a fluke as they would be hoping to win the competition for the first time in their history.

Before the start of the competition, Falcons’ China-based striker, Asisat Oshoala was confident that none of the other teams competing in the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations could rival Nigeria as they go in search of their record-extending ninth AWCON title, but she has been proved wrong as they only managed to beat 2016-finalistsCameroon, who are by far the better side via penalty shootouts.

“Every time you see Nigeria, you know there is no other competitor, we are here to win the trophy. We are here to make our nation proud once more, the girls are ready to give 100 per cent at every point in time,” Oshoala had told ESPN before the start of the competition.

However, the China-based striker and her colleagues must have known better after the loss to South Africa and being the second best against Cameroon in the semifinals.

Nigeria coach Thomas Dennerby, however, didn’t quite share his star player’s bullish optimism and sounded a note of caution regarding the Super Falcons’ would-be rivals for the title.

“We are defending champions. Everybody wants to beat Nigeria and that definitely puts us under pressure. However, we have to live with that, and I think we have a good chance to defend the title, that’s our aim.

“Winning it again won’t be easy but that’s our aim. We know that other teams have improved a lot since the last tournament. Some of them have really done good preparation, they have played a lot of friendlies and so we know that we will play good teams. That’s good for women’s football because more and more teams are getting better,” Dennerby said.

After the narrow semifinal win against Cameroon, the Falcons’ coach in his postmatch presser declared the team would celebrate, but also prepare for today’s final against South Africa.

“For now, we celebrate and prepare for the final match on Saturday. We are happy that we have won the game and picked one of the three tickets to the world cup. Now, the next target is retaining the trophy.”

Dennerby, however, vowed that Super Falcons will avenge a shock 1-0 loss to South Africa when both teams clash today in the AWCON final in Accra.

“We have a very good chance to beat South Africa,” Dennerby declared.

“It was really a tough game against Cameroon, a lot of players are tired, it’s time for recovery and I will say we have a good chance to win in the final. When it comes to the final we will do whatever it takes to bring the cup back to Nigeria.”

Dernneby said the first target at the AWCON had been achieved which was to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women World Cup in France and the next target was to retain the championship.

“We said when we came here, that we had two goals, the first one was to qualify for the World Cup, we did that, I’m impressed.

“We know when we came that Cameroon are a good team, honestly I was not happy in the first 10 to 15 minutes, my players were anxious, we lost the ball too much and definitely in the midfield, we had to defend a lot.

“Looking at the game, we were compact, we defended well in depth and width I think that was key to our win,” he said.

He admitted an attack that paraded Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie and Francisca Ordega would have to improve in the final today.

“It’s good to know it’s difficult to score

against us, definitely we need to improve on the attack, quick passing and more options upfront ,” he said.

South Africa, four-time AWCON runnersup, will be looking to finally finish the tournament at the top of the podium when they play defending champions Nigeria in the showpiece match of the 2018 edition in Ghana today.

Standing between Banyana and a first continental title is an all too familiar rival in the form of eight-time champions, the Super Falcons.

The Bayana-Super Falcons rivalry dates to the final of the second edition of the tournament in 1995. South Africa were making their tournament debut while Nigeria were the defending champions having steamrolled their way to the inaugural title four years earlier. An inexperienced Bayana side, still trying to find their feet in international football, were blown away 11-2 on aggregate.

Their next meeting, five years later in South Africa, would also be in the tournament’s decider. An improving Bayana side, now well-adapted to the demands of international football, would gallantly lose 2-0 to an unstoppable force marching to a fourth consecutive title.

Bayana’s next appearance in a Cup of Nations final would come eight years later in Equatorial Guinea, a narrow 2-1 defeat to the hosts seeing them come up short again.

Four years later it would be Equatorial Guinea - again - to deny them the opportunity to assume the throne of African football queens.

Having already proven in the first round of the Ghana tournament that a solid game plan and tactical discipline can bring the Super Falcons to earth, Bayana could finally find themselves at the top of the podium come the end of today’s much-awaited encounter.

Speaking after South Africa’s 2-0 victory over Mali, Bafana Bafana coach Desiree Ellis, who was obviously over the moon by their first-time qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup said: “We knew that we had accomplished what we wanted to do and that’s going to the World Cup.

“This is not about this team only. This is about all of South Africa. This is about all the coaches there before. About all the players who have been there before. It is also about the Football Association. We wouldn’t have been anywhere if they weren’t on board. They have been tremendous in the preparations we have had over a year. They made sure we made the best preparations possible.”

With World Cup ticket firmly secured, Ellis is now turning her sights to today’s final, where they will come up against none other than eight-time champions Nigeria.

“We will celebrate and start preparing for the final. We are not a team that talk much in the media. We will work together as a team and plan again. And hope to execute the plan because that’s all it is about. We have never won the AWCON and we are going to give it a shot and see what happens on the weekend,” said the coach.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to boost the morale of the Super Falcons, the Nigeria Football Federation has opted to double the winning bonus of the team as a big incentive ahead today’s final against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa in Accra.

President of the NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, made the pledge when he met with the players and officials at the AH Hotel, Accra on Thursday, as he delivered the good wishes of President Muhammadu Buhari and the football –loving populace of Nigeria to the Cup holders.

The Falcons had earned $3,000 for a win in the group phase but were earmarked for $5,000 each for victory in the Final.

“I want to let you know that the government and the good and great people of Nigeria are happy with your performance in the championship so far. They are looking forward to you retaining the trophy by beating South Africa on Saturday (today).

“Let me commend the lofty commitment, dedication and resilience that you have displayed so far in the championship, alongside that unique Nigerian spirit that was most in evidence against the Cameroonians in the semi final. You are indeed true champions, and we believe you will retain the Cup on Saturday. Go out there and win on Saturday and earn yourselves $10,000 each, as against the $5,000 that the NFF earlier promised.”

Onome Ebi and Rita Chikwelu on behalf of the team expressed gratitude to the NFF, the Nigeria media and football –loving Nigerians at home and in the diaspora for their support to the team, and pledged that they will overcome the Banyana Banyana in today’s final in order to return to Nigeria with the trophy.

Ebi said: “We have the World Cup ticket now, which was always our first target here. The second is winning the Cup for a third successive time and ninth time overall. It is a mission we are determined to accomplish on Saturday.” Nigeria have dominated the tournament, winning eight of the previous 10 editions, with only Equatorial Guinea (twice) denying them a clean sweep.