Our expectations for year 2012

 

Osaze

I will like to start this piece by applauding the performance of the U-17 Women National Team, nicknamed Flamingoes in defeating their Kenyan counterparts in the first leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification fixture.

Goals from Patience Okaeme (one in each half) made it 2-0 for Nigeria and it was a good thing coming just 10 days after the Senior National Team B stood up to the ‘A’ team of Angola in an international friendly match at the National Stadium, Abuja. The Flamingoes were there in New Zealand in 2008 and came within touching distance of a place in the quarter finals, following a 2-2 draw with Brazil in their final group phase match in Christchurch.

Two years later, the Class of 2010 did better in Trinidad and Tobago, reaching the quarter finals and having only themselves to blame for not grabbing a semi final ticket. I told Coach Peter Dedevbo then that he failed to read the game well enough as the South Koreans, eventual Cup winners, kept coming strongly against our girls at the most unexpected moments. We led at a time but eventually lost 5-4 after extra time.

Coach Dedevbo must surely take the credit for the win in Nairobi after supervising the screening programme well and selecting quality girls to form the bulk of the team, with a sprinkling of those ones from the last edition who still fall within the age category.

I was impressed with the outcome because that was exactly what we desired, as the Executive Committee has pledged that all our teams will take every match serious this year. Every match must be considered a MUST-WIN, whether it is being played at home or abroad.

However, that will not foreclose our determination to ensure that the right things are done, such as the truly qualified players for the age-grade competitions and that we do not lose focus of the development purpose of these competitions.

It serves no point that a country wins age-grade championships at global level, and several years later, that fails to translate to

excellence at senior level.

The women will have the field of play for the months of March, April and May before the Super Eagles have their VERY IMPORTANT month of JUNE.

Next Saturday, the Flamingoes will host the U-17 Women Team of Kenya with the Nigerian girls having great chances of advancing to the second and final round of the series. Victory will set the Flamingoes against the winner of the Botswana/Zambia fixture, with the winner qualifying to represent Africa at the tournament in Azerbaijan in September/October of this year.

Three countries will represent Africa and we are sure one of those will be Nigeria. With eyes on development as well as excellence, we had instructed and continue to instruct the technical crew of the zero tolerance of the football ruling body to age cheating, while also insisting that those girls who fall within the age and are good enough to fly Nigeria’s flag be preferred.

I must use this medium to express our sincere and heartfelt appreciation to the Government of Ogun State (in particular, His Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun) for agreeing to host the second leg of the clash between the Flamingoes and their Kenyan counterparts.

The U-20 Women’s Team has also been called to camp with the technical crew starting with a screening programme for 30 players who had never been in the team before. By the time they look at these players for about two weeks, they would be able to discover some that are good enough to now compete for places with those players who went to

Germany in 2010 and are still within the age limit. The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is one that we are condemned to take very serious always considering the mileage our country has earned from there. At the first edition hosted by Canada in Year 2002, our girls failed to get beyond the first round. But they have been in the quarter finals in 2004 (Thailand), 2006 (Russia) and 2008 (Chile) before reaching the Final Match in Germany two years ago.

While some of those girls have made the progression from U-20 to the Super Falcons, there are still a few of them still within the age limit and capable of doing the nation proud in the African series and at the final tournament in Uzbekistan in August/September.

The Falconets start the race for Uzbekistan when they take on Sierra Leone’s U-20 girls at the National Stadium in Freetown on February 18. The return leg will come up in Nigeria on March 3.

The Falconets have THREE ROUNDS of qualifying fixtures to negotiate to qualify for Uzbekistan – which we believe, is an opportunity for our girls to confirm their mettle and pedigree and also toughen them for the challenge of the global tournament later in the year.

After crossing the Sierra Leone hurdle, the Falconets will be called on to tackle the winner between the U-20 Women teams of Zimbabwe and Mozambiquein April, before the final round of the qualifiers in May. As for the Super Falcons, the reigning champions of Africa, they have to wait till the month of May to start the qualifiers for the 8th African Women Championship, which will be hosted by Equatorial Guinea in November. The Super Falcons will play the winner between Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The Super Eagles must relish a staple that lines them up for TWO FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and a crucial African Cup of Nations qualifying match in the month of June.

First up is the clash between the Falcons and the Brave Warriors of Namibia, in the race for a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals to be hosted by Brazil. That match will come up between the first and fifth days of June.

A week later, the Super Eagles are again involved in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier, when they fly to Blantyre to take on the Flames of Malawi. I remember that in 2003, in a qualifying race for the 2004 African Cup of Nations, the Eagles defeated their Malawian counterparts 1-0 in Blantyre.

Again, a week later, the Super Eagles are in action, this time to conclude their 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against the Wasps of Rwanda. That match coming up in Nigeria is the return leg of the game that will take place in Kigali on Wednesday, February 29.

We certainly expect to do well in all these qualifying matches, in order to be eligible to participate in several important tournaments – something we are missing this year.

For the Super Eagles, I am to feel the assurance of our FIFA Match Agent, Jairo Pachon who pledged more top-quality international friendly matches to help put the Eagles in shape for the big ones and also, to boost our stature in the global sphere and with good outings in these matches, improve our FIFA ranking.

All three matches in the month of June are crucial and critical to re-defining the Senior National Team, Super Eagles. And no stone will be left unturned to guarantee solid performances in these matches.