Super Falcons, the women's national football team from Nigeria, landed in Rabat, Morocco's capital, yesterday from Casablanca in advance of the 2022 African Women Cup of Nations, which begins on Saturday at four locations throughout the North African nation.
Nigeria is the defending champion and is going for their 10th
championship in 12 iterations of the competition, which puts the greatest
African nations against one another to determine which one plays the finest
football.
The Super Falcons have reportedly begun training in Rabat,
where they will spend seven days before their opening match against their
greatest rivals, South Africa, on July 4.
In the competition's group stage, Nigeria will also face off
against Botswana on July 7 and Burundi on July 10.
All four of Morocco's semifinalists will earn spots to
represent Africa at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in
2019. The fifth-place team will also have the chance to advance in a playoff
competition that will take place early in 2019.
Leading members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) met
them for dinner on Sunday before they left for Morocco yesterday, at which time
they urged the team to work hard to win their 10th championship.
"There is not much
for me to say you about the need to go all out and conquer," NFF President
Amaju Pinnick said during the dinner at the Eko Hotels & Suites. It is
something you are used to because you have the spirit, the energy, and the aura
of champions. You have won this trophy nine times out of the last eleven
attempts, therefore you must strive for the tenth with the same fervor and
determination.
There will undoubtedly
be teams that think they can remove you from your throne and from your status
as champions. You have the ability to overcome any challenge and win again, I
have no doubt about that.”
NFF Executive Committee member Ms. Aisha Falode, Chairman of
the Nigeria Women's Football League, Head Coach Randy Waldrum and his
assistants, 25 players, and the Super Falcons' coaching staff were among the
guests at the event.
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