I see disaster for Falcons
By COSMAS OMEGOH
Saturday,
May 10, 2008
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| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
| |
The proprietor of Makbet Queens FC of Lagos, Chief Gooday
Esezobor, has predicted disaster for the Super Falcons unless
drastic measures are taken to save the team.
He admitted that the Falcons are the best in Africa currently,
but regretted that the fortunes of female football in the
country have been on the deadline.
Chief Esezobor told Saturday Sunsport that female football
in the country over the years had not grown as expected, adding
that the sport had largely depended on luck all this while.
“As far as female football in Nigeria is concerned,
we are not making any progress now,” Chief Esezobor
declared. “I have said it on several occasions that
the fortune of our female football is resting on luck and
there is no better way to put it.
“God has been on our side all this while, and that is
why we have continued to remain the No. 1 female football
playing country on the continent. Now we are going to the
world stage once more. At the Olympics, we are going to meet
the best from around the world and that is where we may crash
again.
“If we are as lucky as we have always been, I see the
team coming out of the group stage. We may then crash either
in the next round or progress to the quarterfinal stage. However,
that will only happen if drastic measures are put in place
to save the team and prepare them for the tough task ahead,
if not, we are going to disgrace ourselves at the Olympics,”
he predicted.
Looking at the Beijing-bound Super Falcons, the Makbet Queens
boss said he’s not happy that the team were largely
made up of players who had been around for so long. He was
livid that the same set of players had dominated the scene
without allowing younger ones the space to breathe new life
into the squad. He contended that there’s need to bring
in fresh legs into the team to energise the team.
“There’s need to reorganise the present Falcons
by bringing in new players into the team. If you go to any
part of the country, you will discover young but hot female
players who are raring to go, yet no one cares about them.
Such girls are all over the place. We that are in the game
know the young good players around.
“Falcons’ coaches should give at least 40 per
cent of the slots in the team to young players and work on
them to blend with the remaining 60 per cent to make the Super
Falcons the team to beat.”
Chief Esezobor also expressed disgust over the appointment
of coaches for the female national sides. He alleged that
the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) had merely embarked
on recycling of coaches. He said that female football ought
to be handled by coaches, who have demonstrated some ample
understanding about the sport without considering where they
come from.
“It’s unfortunate that we have kept recycling
coaches who have run out of ideas. That is why I have always
advocated for new coaches who are technically sound to take
charge of our teams. We need coaches who understand the girls
and their psychology to handle the team.
“Female football in the country should not be a place
for all-comers. It should be handled by people who can do
the job irrespective of where they come from, and I know that
we have such good coaches out there,” he stated.
He suggested that top class friendly games should be arranged
for the Super Falcons if we really expect them to do well
at the Beijing Olympics in August.
“The NFA must arrange some friendly games for the Super
Falcons now,” he suggested. “And such games should
be arranged against top European footballing countries, not
against Ghana, Togo or Congo.
“Falcons’ Coach, Jossy Lad, has said that a friendly
game against China was on the card, but I suggest that the
team should play between two or three friendly games before
the Olympics. Such games will expose their weak points and
provide the opportunity for the coaches to fix the loose ends.
However, if they fail to do this before the event in Beijing,
I can’t see the team making it at the Olympics.” |
