Super Falcons Wants All Three Points Against Australia

*Onome Ebi: “Only the three points will be good enough for Nigeria”

Super Falcons Captain, Onome Ebi, has insisted that Nigeria will go all out to hunt for the three points at stake when they take on co-host Australia on Thursday night in Brisbane. 

She stressed that anything less may spell doom for their ambition to reach the knock out stage of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“We will go in there and play to win. There are no two ways about it. Only three points will be good enough for us,” observed Onome to thenff.com yesterday.

With the maximum three points from their opening match against Republic of Ireland in Sydney on 20 July, Australia’s Matildas know they have a fight on their hands against nine-time African champions, Super Falcons, who refused to bow to Olympic champions Canada in Melbourne the following day.

Falcons know only a win will be good enough to stand them in good stead for a place in the Round of 16, as only the two top-placed teams in each of the eight groups will make progress in a tournament that has welcomed 32 teams for the first time ever.

The Super Falcons Captain is however flaunting their five-match unbeaten streak as one of the callipers that will keep the girls going strong on a turf much more familiar to their opponents and in front of dozens of thousands of a partisan crowd at the Lang Park.

“Of course, it is the World Cup. You have to accept the fact that you are going to play the best teams in the world and you have to be alive to that responsibility and face it with your full chest.”

Before the draw with Canada, the Super Falcons had pipped Costa Rica 1-0, edged Haiti 2-1, trounced New Zealand 3-0 and slayed Lions Women’s Football Club 8-1 before the World Cup.

Nigeria is one of only seven countries (the others being USA, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Japan and Norway) to have featured in every single edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since the competition was launched in 1991 in China.

Australia missed the inaugural edition in China, but have been at every other final tournament since then.

Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has returned to training after being excused for one day following the MVP-winning performance against Canada in Melbourne, and consistency is expected in the selection of the rearguard, with Michelle Alozie and Ashley Plumptre on the wings, and veteran Osinachi Ohale and youthful Oluwatosin Demehin at central.

The co-hosts will have to do without their talismanic captain Sam Kerr, who has been the face on most advertisements pertaining to the tournament here.

Antithetically, Nigeria has gained with the return of the fabulous Rasheedat Ajibade – whose goal against Cameroon in the Women Africa Cup of Nations’ quarter-finals secured Nigeria’s passage to these finals – and midfield battering ram Halimatu Ayinde from suspension.

Asisat Oshoala, who suffered a knock against the Canadians, could be excused, with Nigeria sufficiently blessed in Desire Oparanozie, Jennifer Echegini, Gift Monday and Uchenna Kanu.