Nigeria’s U20 ladies’s workforce, the Falconets, are getting ready to one other historic milestone. With a 1–0 benefit from their first-leg win over Rwanda in Kigali, the workforce returns residence to Ibadan as we speak trying to end the job and guide their place within the remaining spherical of the FIFA U20 Girls’s World Cup qualifiers.
This tie on the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, is the penultimate hurdle earlier than the final qualifying spherical. Nigeria is without doubt one of the few nations to have featured in each version of the U20 Girls’s World Cup, and head coach Moses Adukwu and captain Pleasure Igbokwe are decided to maintain that report intact.
First leg efficiency in Kigali
Coach Adukwu opened the pre-match press convention with a mixture of gratitude and realism:
“At first, I wish to thank God for the victory in Kigali. It was not straightforward, however our plans didn’t materialise. Why? We needed to get the job executed in Kigali and make the return match formalities. Generally the ball denies you what you wish to do.
“I feel we’re heading in the right direction. One of many issues that we missed doing in Kigali, we wish to do it in Ibadan tomorrow. And that’s scoring of objectives. I assume we misplaced some scoring probabilities that wrapped up the sport. So we put our hearts collectively, labored on it, and tomorrow we’re ready for the time.”
His journey from participant to teach
For Adukwu, returning to Adamasingba carries deep private significance.
“I’ll speak in regards to the pitch first. It’s very vital to me as a result of I used to be as soon as a participant within the Nationwide U20. And this was the place I performed my first sport, towards Tanzania. This was the place I performed my first sport. I nonetheless have the jersey. I refuse to offer it out. Not even my spouse can have it. So it’s very vital to me.
“The transition from NWFL, 2019-2022, it was a studying course of for me as a result of my boss, Danjuma, I used to be his first assistant. We labored collectively and took the workforce to the World Cup. So transitioning proper now as the top coach just isn’t troublesome as a result of I’ve discovered a whole lot of issues from him. So I put on the shoe.”
Changes for the second leg
Nigeria’s slim first-leg win has solely sharpened the workforce’s method for the return fixture.
“Usually, this can be a residence sport and we have to take the sport to them as a result of counting on one purpose just isn’t sufficient. So we wish to see how we are able to rating early. So we’re going all out to push them again in order that we are able to conclude the sport.”
The coach additionally highlighted the tactical steadiness between assault and defence:
“Once I say we’re going to go all out to assault them, that doesn’t imply we is not going to get steadiness in our defence. So what we attempt to do is, mainly, we can be attacking them with possibly 6-7 gamers whereas we’ve steadiness in our defence.
“As a result of numbers rely relating to scoring in fact. You may’t have one participant within the field and extensive open half. As a result of what they did in Kigali really, they tried maintaining extra males behind the ball. However we had been in a position to break it to get alternatives however we didn’t take it. However the identical factor I do know they’ll do right here once more. I feel my women have a superb information of what I would like them to do.
“So we’re going to break them by the wings and get into the center. And I feel with that, our defence may also be balanced as a result of we aren’t going to assault with all gamers.”
Dwelling crowd benefit
Adukwu believes Ibadan’s followers can play a decisive function:
“What we noticed in Kigali is that we noticed help from starting to the tip. We noticed their followers proper behind us, hitting the drum for us not to have the ability to talk.
So I consider that Ibadan followers will help us to the tip. And with that, it is going to set off my gamers to play extra and to offer them extra confidence that they’re at residence. So I feel for Ibadan followers, I’m assured they’ll help us to the tip.”
Captain Pleasure Igbokwe on motivation and legacy
The Falconets’ skipper, who performed on the final U20 World Cup, spoke in regards to the workforce’s focus after the slim win in Rwanda:
“It was a really huge alternative for us in Kigali as a result of we didn’t utilise our probabilities. And once we got here again, we’ve been working very exhausting to utilise our probabilities towards Rwanda and rating objectives. As a result of objectives are the main motive for the sport tomorrow.”
On what it means to symbolize Nigeria:
“Properly, this isn’t my first time being within the nationwide workforce. I’ve been within the nationwide workforce because the under-17 and I’ve been given the chance to captain the Falconets.
“We’ve been placing our heads collectively, encouraging each other that we’ve to make Nigeria proud, make our households proud. So by the particular grace of God, we’re going to qualify and get tickets for the World Cup.”
And on the significance of the followers in Ibadan:
“Once we had been in Kigali, we didn’t have any help. However I consider Nigerians that tomorrow, there can be lots of people within the stadium to cheer us up. And their cheering will make us convey out our greatest and make Nigerians proud.”
A practice to guard
Nigeria’s Falconets should not simply one other age-grade facet. They’re one in every of solely a handful of countries to have certified for each version of the U20 Girls’s World Cup.
Their consistency at youth degree has lengthy been a cornerstone of the nation’s ladies’s soccer dominance. At this time in Ibadan, with one foot already within the remaining spherical, the workforce has the prospect to reaffirm that legacy.
For Coach Adukwu, it’s additionally private; returning to the bottom the place his personal journey started. For Captain Pleasure Igbokwe and her teammates, it’s about seizing the second and guaranteeing Nigeria’s streak continues.
The message is evident: the Falconets should not simply taking part in to win; they’re taking part in to maintain Nigeria’s flag flying on the highest stage.
