2023 Women's World Cup friendlies: Nigeria can no longer afford a slip-up
Nigeria's Super Falcons take on Haiti and New Zealand in friendlies in Antalya, Turkey, on 7 and 11 April.
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Nigeria are no longer shining on the international stage. The Super Falcons have not won since the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, and that was a quarter-final against Cameroon (1-0). Beaten by Zambia in the third-place play-off, they had to settle for fourth place. Competing in the Revelations Cup 2023 in Mexico, the Nigerian side suffered a seventh straight defeat. Despite that, the Nigerians remain optimistic about the Women's World Cup. The nine-time African champions are in the thick of their World Cup preparations. They play Haiti in a friendly on 7 April before facing New Zealand on the 11th, in Antalya, Turkey.
Earlier today, we had our first training session under the watch of head coach @CoachWaldrum at the Emir Sports Complex, Antalya.#SoarSuperFalcons #Team9jastrong #FIFAWWCbuildup pic.twitter.com/772SYOgRz9
— NGSuper_Falcons (@NGSuper_Falcons) April 5, 2023
The Nigerians need to win. For these two friendlies, head coach Randy Waldrum will be able to call on his best players. Star forwards Asisat Oshoala and Desire Oparanozie have joined the camp in Antalya. The Barcelona forward is in sensational form this season, with 24 goals in all competitions. However, the Liga's top scorer (19 goals) has not scored for her country for a very long time. Her appearances for the Super Falcons are even very rare. Her last game for the Nigeria side was at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Oparanozie, meanwhile, is joining up with the team for the first time since the Aisha Buhari Cup in Lagos in September 2021.
Read also: 2023 Women's World Cup friendlies: Morocco impress, Nigeria struggle
The American coach has also called up some new faces, including Vivian Ikechukwu. “We are happy to have the new players in camp. They are quality players who will bring more depth to the squad. We are also impressed by the commitment and dedication of the players who have been in camp since we started training,” Waldrum said. At the World Cup, Oshoala's team-mates will face Australia, Canada and Ireland in Group B.