Three times winners, Super Falcons of Nigeria face a Herculean task on Sunday, October 3 as they confront surprise finalists, Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in the final match of the 4th African Women Championships at the Johannesburg stadium.
Cameroon, who were not among the top three teams favoured to cart home the new trophy, sensationally forced Nigeria to a two-all ending in the group game and as if that was not enough shoved out the more illustrious Ghana Black Queens at the semi-final stage.
But Super Falcons Coach, Godwin Izilein says the story will be different on Sunday. “I know why we drew the first game against them.
Firstly, one of my players was injured during our game against Cameroon, Titilayo Mukulayi and that led to a breakdown in my midfield.
Then my defender Felicia Eze lost her concentration towards the end of the game. Add to that is the physical football which they exhibited.
But I have a full complement of my players now and all the flaws have been corrected” said the former Sharks and Dolphins of Port Harcourt trainer.
Coach Izilein says he is sticking to the age-long policy of not changing a winning team, meaning a big blow to first choice keeper Precious Dede who was injured in the match against the Indomitable Lionesses.
“I don’t want to take chances” he explains. “Only a hundred percent fit players will make the starting line-up. My team is not going to be different from the one that thrashed Ethiopia 4-0”, he said.
Leading Nigeria’s surge for goals will be the tournaments highest goal scorer Perpetua Nkwocha who has five so far while the irrepressible Cynthia Uwak,who has four in the kitty, after her brace against Ethiopia in the semi-final, will lend the needed support from the left wing.
“We will come out attacking from all angles. The end result is winning the cup and taking it to Abuja” Izilein boasted.
Nigeria has never been beaten in the final of the last three editions, beginning from 1998 when the competition was first held in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
But the Indomitable Lionesses Head Coach Charles Kamden believes there is always a first time “We all know that Nigeria has the best team in Africa.
But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be beaten. You will see. We will come out fighting because we are known fighters. I will introduce my joker on Sunday and everyone will see a different Cameroon team” said Kamden, who was trained in France.
Cameroon will count on the scoring prowess of Mete Marcelline who plays for Nigerian side Inneh Queens and Bella Francoise who also plays in Nigeria with Pelican stars for a sensational win.
The Indomitable Lionesses best performance in the history of the Championships has been the bronze medal won in 2002 but Kamden, who handled the Cameroonian team to the last All Africa Games in Nigeria says the players have developed a winning attitude since cruising past the group stage
“When we arrived here, I told everyone that our ambition was to get to the final and you saw how we beat Ghana to pick the final ticket. My players are ready mentally and physically. On Sunday, the Cup will be ours.”
