Nigeria Content Online

Nigeria’s Falconets
will be treated to a grand reception by the presidency today following
their historic second place finish at the just concluded FIFA Under 20
Women’s World Cup in Germany.

The Falconets, who
went all the way to the final of the tournament before losing to the
hosts, despite starting the tournament as rank outsiders, arrived Lagos
on Monday from Germany to a warm welcome at the Murtala Muhamed
International Airport. They were met on arrival by an appreciative
crowd that included the wife of the Lagos State governor, Abimbola
Fashola, and other state officials. They were expected to spend the
night in Lagos before departing for Abuja on Tuesday morning for the
reception which NEXT gathered has been planned in their honour by the
wife of the Nigerian president, Patience Jonathan.

Surpassing expectations

The Falconets
surpassed the expectations of Nigerians by going beyond the quarter
finals at the U-20 Women’s World Cup; a feat they had failed to achieve
at their previous four tournament appearances. Their quarter final
victory over defending champions, United States of America, was
arguably the biggest upset in the history of the women’s game, and
prevented the Americans from making it to the last four of the global
tourney for the first time in their history. It was also the first
appearance for an African team in the last four of a global football
tournament. However, the Falconets didn’t stop at that, as they went on
to defeat tournament debutants, Colombia, in the semi finals to set up
a dream final with the Germans who had practically destroyed every team
they came up against over the course of the tournament to confirm their
pre-tournament favourites tag.

They even destroyed
another pre-tournament favourites South Korea 5-1 in the semi-finals
but met stiff resistance in the form of the Falconets in the final. A
goal inside the opening 10 minutes by the tournament’s top scorer,
Alexandra Popp, and an own goal late in the game, gave the Germans
victory against the Falconets who look set to form the backbone of the
Super Falcons side expected to qualify for next year’s Women’s World
Cup, also to be hosted by Germany, at the end of the African Women’s
Championships coming up in October in South Africa.

Goodies from sponsors

In a related
development, the official candy of Nigeria’s national teams, TomTom,
has congratulated the Falconets on putting up a good fight in the
final. TomTom, which has been rewarding all the national teams since
signing on as the official candy in 2008, is also giving the Falconets
$250 for each shot they hit on target over the course of the
tournament.

The Falconets were credited with 46 shots on target in
Germany, and as a result stand to earn the sum of $11,500 from the
candy company.