Women World Cup: Mabo deplores Falcon’s poor preparations

By Eddie Akalonu

Former Super Falcons handler Ismaila Mabo has expressed dissatisfaction with the female national team’s preparation for the FIFA Women’s world Cup in Canada later in the year. Speaking in an interview, Mabo has advocated that NFF should provide for the team a rolling plan for the world cup, so it would not be difficult for the team doing well considering the strength of opponents at both group stage and competition in total. “It is shocking that there is not in place a tangible plan for Canada. I think if there is, the team has a good chance of advancing beyond the group stage not minding that group opponents are strong and parade very frightening credentials in the world cup.” So, NFF should sit up and get things happening for the Falcons regarding our World Cup participation,” he said, adding, “we have all the potentials to be among the best in the world and getting a good team in place is one sure way of proving our worth.”

Nigeria play in Group-D against two past winners of the competition- United States, and Sweden The last group team- Australia is seemingly the weakling but Mabo said has also expressed the view that Australia by now would put in more effort into preparation to avoid emerging as weeping baby of the group.. “However, we can still advance from the group with good preparations. Though the United States and Sweden are teams we have never beaten at that level, it was only due to their more magnified view of the world cup and level of preparation and importance attached. It is not as if these countries have better players and platforms for grooming talents than we do,” he added. Nigeria beat the Ivory Coast to win the African Women Championship in Namibia. The two are joined by as Africa’s flag-bearers in the World Cup which holds June 6 to July 7.