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The Super Falcons’ unimpressive 1-1 draw against the Black
Queens of Ghana in an All Africa Games qualifier played at the Abuja National
Stadium, has attracted criticism from the first vice chairman of the Nigerian
Football Federation, Mike Umeh.

Umeh described the team’s performance against their Ghanaian
counterparts as shameful and unacceptable to Nigerians.

“I feel so bad. This is the least match we expected to draw.
Even 3-0 could not have been acceptable. Look at our so called big Falcons they
could not beat the small Ghanaians. I am not happy, I expected a win,” he said.

Asked what was responsible for the Super Falcons poor
performance, he said the team did not play to instructions and as well
committed silly mistakes like the one which resulted in the Black Queens’s
equalizer. He also said that the team lacks skilful players and got easily
tired in the second half of the game.

Despite the 1-1 draw which puts the Black Queens in a vintage
position, Umeh expressed optimism that the Super Falcons will qualify by
beating the Black queens in Accra in the second leg of the qualifier, which
comes up in a fortnight. He explained that the Black Queens will be under
pressure to qualify and that will give Nigeria some sort of advantage. Umeh
also hinted that the team will be overhauled to give room for better players
that will replace the ones that played the first leg in Abuja.

No chance

Reacting to the game, the coach of the Black Queens, Kuuk Adazi
wrote off the Super Falcons’ chances in the second leg in Accra by stating
emphatically that his side will beat the Falcons.

He said his side came to Nigeria with a clear tactics – to sit
in the rear, soak the Falcons pressure and catch them on the breaks which paid
off. He went on to boast that his young side, which consists of the under-20 side
that featured in the last World Cup will go places. He praised the Nigerian
team as well but advised the Falcons to work on their midfield department.

In the first leg of the encounter played at the Abuja National
Stadium between the Super Falcons and the Black Queens, which ended 1-1 apiece,
Desiree Oparanozie put the Falcons ahead in the 75th minute while Grace Asare
equalised for the Black Queens four minutes later.

Efforts to get the chief of the Super Falcons, Eucharia Uche and members of
the Nigerian Football Federation Technical committee to comment on the game
were unsuccessful.