‘U.S. tour was just a jamboree’
Former Super Falcons Coach, Godwin Izilien, has called on Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the team’s technical crew to scout for a new set of players to replace the top stars instead of concentrating on friendly games.
Speaking on Super Falcons’ recent outing in the four-nation U.S. Invitational Championship, Izilien said 95 per cent of players that shone in the recent Nigeria Women Football League (NWPL) Super Six Tournament in Ijebu Ode, should have been used at the U.S. championship.
He said playing the home-based players would give the Coach Randy Waldrum-led technical crew the opportunity to discover quality young players that would replace the ageing players.
He warned that unless new players were discovered to replace the ageing and already established stars in the Super Falcons, the women national team’s ranking would drop both in Africa and at the global level.
Izilien said: “The U.S. tour was just a jamboree and a waste of money. The Falcons’ coaches should focus on assembling the best home-based women players and expose them to international competitions to make them better.
“We need players that will be ready to replace the likes of Asisat Oshoala, Francis Ordega and others when they begin to lose form. Home-based players should be the livewire of the Super Falcons. You should understand that the lifespan of women footballers is short and not like their male counterparts.
He continued: “A coach needs players in top form to assemble a formidable team. Overreliance on some set of players is dangerous for the Super Falcons.”
The Guardian recalls that Waldrum took 10 home-based players and 15 overseas-based stars to the four-nation championship in the U.S., where the Falcons lost two and drew one match including the 0-2 defeat to the U.S. in their last game.
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