Cybereagles

Falcons needs overhauling – Ex-players, NFF
https://punchng.com/falcons-needs-overh ... ayers-nff/

Johnny Edward
26 September 2021


FOLLOWING the Super Falcons embarrassing 4-2 defeat to South Africa at the recently concluded Aisha Buhari Invitational tournament, former players of the team have unanimously agreed that the team needs an overhaul.

Two penalties and an own goal by defender Michelle Alozie handed the Banyana Banyana a famous win in the final played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos on Tuesday.

Speaking with SUNDAY PUNCH, Stella Mbachu who starred for the Falcons from 1999 to 2014 and won six Africa Women Cup of Nations titles with the team said Randy Waldrum’s team lacked fitness and were out of sort in the finals.

“That was not a good game, it was obvious the Falcons were not in their right frame of mind,” she told SUNDAY PUNCH.

“The game was a bad one that is not the team I know. The entire team didn’t play well.

“They need to put this behind them and work harder to perform better during the Africa Women’s Qualifiers.

“They need to overhaul the team and reassemble a new team. The Falcons need to be worked on. They lacked fitness as a coach in my own opinion and that was why the South Africans out ran them.

On Waldrum’s tactics, she said,”I don’t know his pattern since he arrived maybe he needs more time with the team. He needs to study the players more particularly those playing in the Nigeria Women Football League.

The Nigerian Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick also agreed that the Falcons needs a rejig as the defeat to South Africa exposed the weakness of the team.

“We are all disappointed by the performance of the Super Falcons, especially on a day we claim to be celebrating the Girl Child,” he said.


“The whole essence of this competition for us as NFF has been achieved. We have a qualifier against Ghana in the next few weeks so we needed these matches to test the readiness of our players for the task ahead.

“The Banyana Banyana team has exposed the weaknesses in our team. They came to Lagos with so many young players and gave our girls some football lessons on the day.

“For me, the lesson here is that, we need to inject more players from the NWFL into the team. As you can see, the outstanding players in Nigeria’s two matches against Mali and South Africa are home based players and that is the more reason why we must invest more in the Nigeria women’s football league to expose more of these hidden talents.”

Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen, also agreed on the overhaul but added it must be gradual.

“The whole crowd was shocked with the result. They are not playing well and that is why it is tagged the Aisha Buhari International friendly and it is an opportunity for the coach and the entire Nigeria especially football stakeholders to start looking inward.

“But we cannot wipe these girls out completely, it is impossible and that’s why it has to be a gradual process.”

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EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 5:19 pm Why not improve the team instead of dismantling the team only to "start" a new team with the same set of players? We have to stop taking short cuts and actually build on what we have.

EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 5:19 pm Why not improve the team instead of dismantling the team only to "start" a new team with the same set of players? We have to stop taking short cuts and actually build on what we have.

jette1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:40 am In case you missed it, well, this is exactly what happened; the supper Falcons have already been overhauled going forward. If you noticed except for the Houston dash player non of the new girls that featured in the US tournament were in Lagos for So called Aisha Buhari tournament. Not even the much publicized Ashleigh was there. This was not by accident; the plan was to honor and give all the old players opportunity to feature in this exhibition in recognition of their long service to the nation. This was planed to coincide with the award ceremony featuring formers players most of whom were also invited to Lagos. The new look Falcons would begin to phase in into the team as World Cup qualification peaks. Hence the performance in Lagos should not be surprising to anyone who saw the players featured in Lagos as opposed to the players featured in the US

Adisboy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:32 am

jette1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:40 am In case you missed it, well, this is exactly what happened; the supper Falcons have already been overhauled going forward. If you noticed except for the Houston dash player non of the new girls that featured in the US tournament were in Lagos for So called Aisha Buhari tournament. Not even the much publicized Ashleigh was there. This was not by accident; the plan was to honor and give all the old players opportunity to feature in this exhibition in recognition of their long service to the nation. This was planed to coincide with the award ceremony featuring formers players most of whom were also invited to Lagos. The new look Falcons would begin to phase in into the team as World Cup qualification peaks. Hence the performance in Lagos should not be surprising to anyone who saw the players featured in Lagos as opposed to the players featured in the US

I totally agree. From the Turkey tournament we saw a new look team and performance, remember they beat Equatorial Guinea 9 nil. The prefered holding player seems to Ayinde but she suffered a long-term injury. Gift Monday, Glory Ogbonna have been there since Waldrum's first squad. This squad is also missing Patricia George (also due to long-term injury), Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC's US top striker), Esther Okoronkwo (who just joined Saint-Etienne,& scored 2 goals last week on her debut against Oparanozie's Dijon), Onyinyechi Zogg,Plumptre, the Payne sisters and Ajibade. Toni Payne & Rasheedat Ajibade have been the absolute top performers for the Falcons in the previous 2 invitationals. Had they played, nobody would have been raving about Kgatlana. Also i feel with the injection of some more NWFL stars, example Ezenagu of Rivers Angels who is an absolute baller, we certainly have the tools to move on from the Oparanozie's Okobi's, Chikwelu's etc.

Adisboy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 9:32 am I totally agree. From the Turkey tournament we saw a new look team and performance, remember they beat Equatorial Guinea 9 nil. The prefered holding player seems to Ayinde but she suffered a long-term injury. Gift Monday, Glory Ogbonna have been there since Waldrum's first squad. This squad is also missing Patricia George (also due to long-term injury), Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC's US top striker), Esther Okoronkwo (who just joined Saint-Etienne,& scored 2 goals last week on her debut against Oparanozie's Dijon), Onyinyechi Zogg,Plumptre, the Payne sisters and Ajibade. Toni Payne & Rasheedat Ajibade have been the absolute top performers for the Falcons in the previous 2 invitationals. Had they played, nobody would have been raving about Kgatlana. Also i feel with the injection of some more NWFL stars, example Ezenagu of Rivers Angels who is an absolute baller, we certainly have the tools to move on from the Oparanozie's Okobi's, Chikwelu's etc.

jette1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:40 am In case you missed it, well, this is exactly what happened; the supper Falcons have already been overhauled going forward. If you noticed except for the Houston dash player non of the new girls that featured in the US tournament were in Lagos for So called Aisha Buhari tournament. Not even the much publicized Ashleigh was there. This was not by accident; the plan was to honor and give all the old players opportunity to feature in this exhibition in recognition of their long service to the nation. This was planed to coincide with the award ceremony featuring formers players most of whom were also invited to Lagos. The new look Falcons would begin to phase in into the team as World Cup qualification peaks. Hence the performance in Lagos should not be surprising to anyone who saw the players featured in Lagos as opposed to the players featured in the US

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:54 am ..As for Oparanozie, Okobi, Ordega and Chikwelu etc, it might not so much be a matter of age. It might just be a case of even better players emerging.

TonyTheTigerKiller wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 5:07 pm

jette1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:40 am In case you missed it, well, this is exactly what happened; the supper Falcons have already been overhauled going forward. If you noticed except for the Houston dash player non of the new girls that featured in the US tournament were in Lagos for So called Aisha Buhari tournament. Not even the much publicized Ashleigh was there. This was not by accident; the plan was to honor and give all the old players opportunity to feature in this exhibition in recognition of their long service to the nation. This was planed to coincide with the award ceremony featuring formers players most of whom were also invited to Lagos. The new look Falcons would begin to phase in into the team as World Cup qualification peaks. Hence the performance in Lagos should not be surprising to anyone who saw the players featured in Lagos as opposed to the players featured in the US

I sincerely hope you’re just running your mouth. That US squad lost to Jamaica. They were nothing to write home about… and one loss in a friendly doesn’t mean anything


Cheers.

Otitokoro wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 5:12 pm Actually, it is about both. Oparanozie, for example, has been playing for the SF since 2008. Chikwelu similar. Ordega seems to only play one way and she has been scouted and found out. Okobi is a reserve at her club, playing second fiddle to Halimat Ayinde. She has nothing left to offer the SF, as evidenced in her performance during the ABC Invitational.
It really is time for them to leave the stage and let the newer and younger players stake their claim.

Damunk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:54 am ..As for Oparanozie, Okobi, Ordega and Chikwelu etc, it might not so much be a matter of age. It might just be a case of even better players emerging.

jette1 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:40 am In case you missed it, well, this is exactly what happened; the supper Falcons have already been overhauled going forward. If you noticed except for the Houston dash player non of the new girls that featured in the US tournament were in Lagos for So called Aisha Buhari tournament. Not even the much publicized Ashleigh was there. This was not by accident; the plan was to honor and give all the old players opportunity to feature in this exhibition in recognition of their long service to the nation. This was planed to coincide with the award ceremony featuring formers players most of whom were also invited to Lagos. The new look Falcons would begin to phase in into the team as World Cup qualification peaks. Hence the performance in Lagos should not be surprising to anyone who saw the players featured in Lagos as opposed to the players featured in the US

Enugu II wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 7:03 pm

EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 5:19 pm Why not improve the team instead of dismantling the team only to "start" a new team with the same set of players? We have to stop taking short cuts and actually build on what we have.

Actually, what you mention here is precisely what the story suggests. You may want to review it again.

In my view, I think they may be going overboard here. This singular defeat should not lead to hasty decisions. While I agree that there is need to look at local players, it will be a grave decision to overcompensate by ignoring players based outside the country.

I think we should avoid these false narratives about local or foreign training of players. Simply focus on the individual talent of a given player and not whether the player is based in Nigeria or not.