Nigeria’s Super Falcons break 20-year World Cup jinx

On Thursday, Nigeria’s Super Falcons qualified for the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 20 years.

The Falcons have reached the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup just once before now, a quarter-final appearance in the competition in the United States in 1999.

They will confront former champions Germany in the last 16 of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in Grenoble on Saturday.

The Falcons qualified as one of the best losers to the round of 16 after finishing third in Group A behind France and Norway but had to endure a torrid time before confirming their place in the last 16 of the event.

The African champions had ended their Group A campaign with three points, courtesy of a 2-0 win over Korea Republic and losses to former champions Norway (3-0) and hosts France (1-0).

But they had to wait three days later after their final group game on Monday to know their fate. And the Nigerians were almost left frustrated after Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses beat New Zealand 2-1, meaning they (Falcons) had to slip from third on the best third-placed teams table, to fourth.

A 3-0 win for Chile over Thailand would have ended the Falcons dreams of qualification but having led 2-0, the South Americans lost a penalty late on in dramatic fashion to hand the Nigerians a spot in the knockout stage. Cameroon also qualified as one of the third best-placed teams, thus making it the first time two Africans will reach the knockout stages of the competition.

In 2003, 2007 and 2011, the African Champions were knocked out of the tournament at group stages.

Meanwhile Amos Adamu, a former Director-General of the defunct National Sports Commission has urged the Super Eagles to have a `winner’s mentality’ and go for the Gold at the 2019 Egypt Africa Cup of Nations.

He gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos ahead of the Nations Cup in Egypt which kicks off June 21.

“I strongly believe that they will have a good outing as long as they play as a team and follow instructions of their coach.

“Discipline is very essential. They need to imbibe the mentality of a winner and I so much believe that something good will come out of this tournament.

“They just have to believe in themselves and take every opponent seriously in order to achieve a great result,’’ Adamu said.

According to him, times have changed, there are no pushovers in football.

“We need to watch out so we don’t underestimate the abilities of any opponent.

“For them to be in the tournament as Eagles are; shows that they have something to offer in the AFON,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the Super Eagles will be playing against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar in Group D.