AFTER the final whistle signalled the end of the match on Monday, the Super Falcons wore forlorn looks, with heads in their hands.
The Nigerian ladies were not just sad that their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup journey had ended in the round of 16 at the hands of England, they were also feeling pangs of regret at what might have been.
They were so close to the quarter-finals and their first-ever knockout victory in the Women’s World Cup that they could practically taste it.
But it slipped away from them, and the ladies who fought fiercely for their country’s colours were left distraught.
Before the round of 16 clash, not many people gave the Super Falcons a snowball’s chance in hell of victory.
By the end, everybody, including the England players, officials and fans, was wondering how Nigeria did not win.
The nine-time African champions had the better chances, played the better football and had a one-man advantage for over 35 minutes.
The Super Falcons hit the woodwork three times and forced big saves from England goalkeeper Mary Earps, and Lauren James was sent off for a petulant stamp on a prone Michelle Alozie.
Ultimately though, the Super Falcons fell short, and that was why they rued the missed opportunity to continue defying the odds.
They were up against it right from the start of the tournament, even long before their first match.
The most successful side in African women’s football history were the lowest ranked in their group by FIFA (40th to Australia’s 10th, Canada’s No 7 and Ireland’s 22nd) and were coming to the tournament under a cloud of discord.
They were being owed a backlog of bonuses and allowances stretching back to several months and their American head coach Randy Waldrum was at loggerheads with his bosses at the Nigeria Football Federation over unpaid wages.
It was not the most stable of conditions in which to prepare for the most important tournament in their sport, but the brave ladies set it all aside and went about their business with commitment and love for their country.
They held Olympic champions Canada to a 0-0 draw before pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history by beating co-hosts Australia 3-2.
The Super Falcons needed just one more point after the stunning victory over Australia to reach the round of 16, and they secured it with another 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland.
Then came the painful defeat to European champions England that got the world talking about the Nigerian queens and agreeing that they deserved better than the eventual outcome.
Having appeared to have lost their mojo with their poor performances at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco last year, where they finished a disappointing fourth, and a dismal run of six straight defeats, Waldrum and his ladies have engineered a magnificent turnaround.
They have shown with their performances and results in Australia that they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the world and come out with some credit.
The Falcons have also shown that they can soar above adversity and focus on the task at hand by blocking out NFF’s shenanigans to reach those great levels.
In terms of tactics and mentality, this was probably Nigeria’s best-ever outing at the Women’s World Cup, and it could have been much better.
A little more push and a little more courage, especially after James’ red card, could have led to a historic first-ever Women’s World Cup knockout rounds win for the Falcons.
Defender Ashleigh Plumptre, who had an excellent tournament, summed it all up aptly when she told the world to stop laying emphasis on the power of African teams and to acknowledge the technical and tactical growth.
“I’m telling you, after this game, I’m tired of people just saying that African teams are just strong, and they’re just fast, and count us out as being technical or tactical,” the Leicester City star said after the England encounter on Monday.
“Like we just pushed England to the very end. And I actually think that we had better chances than them.
“We made a statement here. We won’t be forgotten for what we’ve done and this will just be the foundation moving forward.”
Hopefully, the NFF does not once again pass up the opportunity to build on the gains of this eye-opening Super Falcons outing in Australia.
Paying the owed entitlements for the players and Waldrum would be a good start, while continuing to strengthen women’s football at both elite and grassroots level would be immensely beneficial.
The Falcons have a solid core of experience and youth in the likes of Chiamaka Nnadozie, Plumptre, Toni Payne, Michelle Alozie, Osinachi Ohale, Christy Ucheibe, Halimatu Ayinde, Deborah Abiodun, Uchenna Kanu, Asisat Oshoala, Gift Monday and Rasheedat Ajibade.
The team can only get better with proper organisation from the NFF, and the Falcons will be counted among women’s football’s global heavyweights if things are done right.
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