Mabo hails falcons’ ‘performance of champions’
Former Super Falcons coach, Ismaila Mabo has described the team’s superlative performance against Sweden in their opening match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada as ‘performance of champions’.
The Super Falcons came from behind to force their opponents to 3-3 in a match that produced thrilling moments from the blast of the first whistle to the last.
Although they trailed the Swedes 3-2, the Falcons kept attacking their opponents’ goal area until Francesca Ordega leveled scores in the 86 minutes to set the team’s camp into wild celebration.
Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, Mabo said that he was not surprised by the performance of the Super Falcons because they only showed that they can hold their own against the best teams in the world.
He said the Falcons proved by their performance that they have improved tremendously and have come of age in the game.
Mabo said most of the Falcons players have played together right from the U-17 and U-20 and have struck a perfect understanding.
“I want to congratulate the Super Falcons. They truly displayed the stuff of champions. It is only champions that can do what they did.
“Coming from two goals down to draw against a highly rated team like Sweden is encouraging. They have to keep up the good work”.
The former Mighty Jets star also said the Falcons should keep up the performance because they have more battles to fight in Canada.
He said if they can win their next match against Australia, they would then concentrate fully on the last group game against the USA.
“They should not rest on their oars because they deserved to get the maximum points. What they should do is to get the business against Australia done convincingly so that they would concentrate fully on the USA.
“I am confident the Falcons will soar very high in Canada, if they work harder. They have the capacity to better the 1999 record of semi-finals,” he said.