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Despite being the
second youngest squad to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after Ghana,
the Falconets have been described by a member of the FIFA Technical
Study Group (TSG) as the most physically superior team to the
championships in Germany.

Now after making
the finals, the odds are definitely more than they were against the
USA, as some analysts believe that this 2010 German side is the best
ever and with the scoring prowess of Alexandra Popp, the team is
virtually unbeatable. The Falconets will beg to disagree and no one can
write off this Nigerian team as they are set to create history today.

One thing they will
have to rely on today against noticeably bigger opponents will be their
physical strength. April Heinrichs, the TSG member said on fifa.com:
“They are physically superior to any team in the tournament and they
are really sold on their roles and their commitment to that role.”

The Falconets have
also shown that they will possess the ball but the only drawback to
their excellent play in Germany has been the number of chances that
have been frittered away. In all their five matches, they have scored
just six goals and conceded four but the margin should have been higher
and that is something Coach Adat Egan must have worked on in training
ahead of today’s final. Against a ruthless German team that has amassed
an amazing 18 goals in their five matches; they have to be more
decisive in front of goal with Desire Oparanozie told to be composed
when she is in scoring positions.

The Falconets have
had the tendency to concede goals in this competition but the good part
is that they have not conceded more than one in any match so far and
stopped (with the help of the cross bar) Colombia scoring in the semi
final match on Thursday.

Long road to glory

Henrietta Ukaigwe,
journalist and founder of Female football Interest Group (FFIG), a
non-governmental organisation dedicated to the development of the
women’s game in Nigeria, believes the Falconets can triumph over
Germany.

“They have come
this far and are not likely to falter at this stage. They just need to
stay calm and not be fazed by the pedigree of the Germans. Granted that
the Europeans have been impressive in this tournament, our girls too
have not been conceding too many goals,” Ukaigwe said.

John Zaki, a former
member of the Female Football Development Committee of the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) is doubly sure that the Falconets will beat
the German side if they can only be prepared well physically. “Once the
girls are properly fit, there won’t be any problem against Germany.
They may have scored more goals but the game against Nigeria will be
very different. I know this is our chance and by God’s grace, we will
bring that Cup to Nigeria.”

Heinrichs is also
impressed at the transition of the team from being weak technically to
being more adept. “We have been extremely impressed with the speed,
agility and quickness of the players in this tournament. Overall the
physical qualities and psychological maturation is higher here than we
have seen at previous youth World Cups. So the players are making that
transition from girlhood to woman-hood much quicker and we are seeing
players here who will soon step up to the senior level.

Jegede abandons team

The leader of the
Nigerian delegation to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, Bola Jegede, it
has been revealed may have abandoned the team in Germany to take care
of matters that are closer to her heart-remaining in the new board of
the Nigeria Football Federation. A long time supporter of women’s
football in Nigeria and also a female club proprietor called Jegede
Babes, the bulky administrator did not quite believe that the Falconets
will stay a long time in Germany.

This is reflected
in the fact that she missed the first two group matches of the team and
perhaps not believing the Falconets will stay long in the tournament,
returned home on Monday after Nigeria’s elimination of defending
champions, United States in the quarter-final to woo female football
club owners to give her the group’s sole ticket on the NFF board when
elections take place later this month.

After Nigeria edged
Colombia in the semi-final on Thursday to book a final ticket, Jegede
scrambled to return to Germany on Friday night. Her action has rankled
football faithful back home.

Macbeth Esesobor,
proprietor of Macbeth Queens, Lagos believes it was the wrong step to
take. “Though I did not see her, it was confirmed that she came back to
solidify her electoral position into the new board of the NFF. It was
wrong for her to have done that as she is looked upon as the mother of
the team. Her presence though will not have been sorely missed as the
First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is with the team in Germany.”

The Falconets can step up

She believes that most of the players in the Nigerian set-up can become players for the senior national team, the Falcons.

“Nigeria has three
to five players, if not more, who are as good as their full national
team players. As the game develops the players are older and older at
this level and more mature at this level. Teams are not picking a 16 or
17-year-old because they don’t have any 20-year-olds but because the 16
or 17-year-olds are good enough.”

The TSG also noted
that the Nigerian team play a passing game that can be used to
frustrate the Germans, if they are denied the ball over long periods
and they will also not be able to hurt the Falconets.

“Nigeria can also
be direct but with dynamism. The reliance on possession reflects the
psychological maturity and also indicates the preparation the teams
have gone through before they arrive at the tournament and in that
regard we are pleased because we are seeing some pretty fine football
here. And the players have been rewarded for their excellent football.”

The question will be whether the team’s pretty approach to playing can hurt the host, Germany today in Bielefeld.

What can be surmised from the tournament so far is that this
Nigerian team is better than the previous ones because they are more
technically aware than their predecessors. The TSG agrees, “Nigeria is
the best team I have seen from that country in ten years of watching
them at world events. They have all the classic qualities of Nigerian
teams: great tackling and physical presence and unbelievable speed but
they are more disciplined as well.”