First Lady Tasks Super Falcons to Dazzle at 2023 World Cup

*Team depart Abuja for 15-day training camp in Down Under

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

With 17 days to the kick off of the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals  in Australia and New Zealand,  wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has 

charged Nigeria’s Super Falcons dominate at the Mundial Down Under.

Speaking at the send forth for the nine-time African champions on Saturday evening in Abuja, Mrs Tinubu described Super Falcons as pride of Africa.

“You are the shining star and pride of Africa. I charge you to go all out and do your very best to dominate other teams, and become the pride of the entire world,” she said in a speech read on her behalf by APC National Women Leader, Dr. Betta Edu.

“I am proud to note that our Super Falcons have remained in that mix of the very best globally in the world of football. They have featured in every single edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since the competition started in 1991, and our country is also one of only seven countries worldwide to have done so.

“While our Falcons made it to the quarter-finals at the 1999 finals in the United States of America, and reached the second round at the last championship in France, our expectations as a nation and as a people is for a much better performance at what is certainly the biggest and best championship yet, in Australia and New Zealand starting from 20 July,” concludes the Nigerian First Lady.

Both the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar and the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu who were present at the send forth also admonished the Falcons to do the nation proud with quality outing at the tournament.  

Super Falcons Captain, Onome Ebi, on behalf of the players, promised not to go and make up the numbers at the tournament, pledging to do better that their previous outings.

“We are not just going to be part of the competition, but going to break records and surpass our previous outing which was Round of 16.”  

On Friday, the Australian High Commission in Nigeria had treated the Super Falcons to a celebration dinner hosted by the Ag. High Commissioner, Ms Leanne Johnston in Abuja.

Super Falcons flew out of Abuja yesterday for a 15-day training in Australia before they enter into camp for the tournament proper, with their base at Brisbane – which is also venue for two of their matches in the group phase.

Nigeria’s first match of the finals is against Canada, at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium, on Friday, 21 July, before clashes with co-host nation Australia and Republic of Ireland on Thursday, 27 Julyand Monday, 31 Julyrespectively, at the Lang Park in Brisbane.

Australia and New Zealand 2023 will be the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in history, as it welcomes 32 teams – same number as featured in the men’s finals in Qatar last year. 

It is also the first to be hosted by two countries, and is the first-ever FIFA senior competition to be hosted by two countries in two different confederations: Australia is in the Asian confederation while New Zealand is in Oceania.