Sport

WCQ: Oyo Govt. Opens Gates for Falconets/Rwanda Clash

By Web News 781

By Iyabo Adebisi

Oyo State government has announced no gate fee for Falconets match against Rwanda U-20 team, slated for Saturday, September 27th, at the Lekan Salami stadium Adamasingba, Ibadan.

The State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the preparations towards the FIFA World Cup qualifier match.

She said a projected audience of about 20,000 Falconets fans were expected to watch the match at the stadium.

According to the Commissioner, hosting the match at the Lekan Salami stadium Ibadan would make Ibadan “once again shine as a centre of culture and unity.

Adegoke said the gesture reflected the commitment of Governor Seyi Makinde to ensure inclusiveness “and to give every football loving Nigerian, especially our people in Oyo state the opportunity to be part of the global event.”

She, therefore, called on the people of the state to come out in their numbers to fill the stadium to capacity and cheers Falconets to victory.

The State Government had last Tuesday approved the sum of N110million for camping and hosting of the match.

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Sport

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers: Falconets Draw Burundi

By Web News 973

Nigeria’s national under-20 women’s football team, the Falconets has been drawn to face Burundi in the second round of the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The draw was officially conducted by the Confederation of African Football, CAF in Cairo, Egypt.

The draw produced some interesting ties as the pathway to the global showpiece is officially open.

The first six nations with the lowest rankings will take center stage in a round-robin format between September 1 and September 10.

Equatorial Guinea will face Libya, Togo will take on Guinea Bissau, and Mauritius will face off against Chad.

The winners from this round will then move on to the second round of the qualifiers.

In this round, Ethiopia will take on the winners of the Equatorial Guinea and Libya pairing, while Senegal will face off with Mali.

NAN/Maxwell Oyekunle

Sport

Falconets Out of World Cup

By Web News 474

Women’s U-20 national team, the Falconets were in the early hours of Monday morning eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands.

Zera Hulswit gave the Dutch the lead in the 10th minute as she was given more than enough time on the edge of the falconet’s eighteen-yard box to control and fire an unstoppable shot past the Nigerian goalkeeper.

Following the goal, the Falconets continued to give a good impression of themselves by exerting pressure on the Dutch defense, but the dutch defenders stood their ground to curtail the pressure.

In spite of the overwhelming performance from the Falconets, the Netherlands kept their cool and scored with their second shot on goal as a costly mistake from the defense allowed Ziva Caroline Henry to score from close to the penalty spot.

The second half was all Nigeria, but the Dutch team held them off

FRCN Abuja/Adetutu Adetule

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Sport

Falconets Thrash Canada 3-1, Meet Holland in Quarter-Final

By Web News 475

Nigeria’s U-20 girls, Falconets, set a World Cup group stage perfect record for themselves after beating Canada 3-1 in Alajuela on Thursday morning to finish with a perfect nine points out of nine in Group C.

Head Coach, Chris Musa, said before the encounter that his girls would seek to win even as a quarter-final ticket was already in the bag, in order to sustain their winning mentality following hard-fought victories over France and the Korea Republic.

That was exactly what the Falconets did.

Africa’s best team conceded their first goal of the competition in an accidental manner, following goalkeeper Omini Oyono’s poor management of a back-pass from Jumoke Alani that granted Kala Novak a fortuitous goal in less than two minutes.

“It was great for us to come back from that setback, and also concede first in the tournament. We showed character and spirit, and that would be huge for us going forward in the competition,” Musa said after the match.

Midfield impresario Esther Onyenezide, whose vicious curling shot earned all three points against the Korea Republic to send the Falconets into the last eight on Monday morning, scored from the penalty spot in the 24th minute to pull the Falconets level. Defender Mia Pante had handled the ball from a Blessing Okpe shot in the box.

The Falconets looked composed and surefooted in the middle with the return of Deborah Abiodun, who sat out the encounter with the Koreans, and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu also played an inspired game after starting for the first time in the tournament. Her firm header from a Blessing Okpe cross in the 15th minute was missed narrowly.

Onyenezide shot Nigeria ahead, also from the spot, in the 32nd minute, after Simi Awujo’s dangerous play against Mercy Idoko, as the latter went for a header from Rofiat Imuran’s inswinger, was penalised.

In the added time of the first period, Idoko came close to scoring her first goal of the tournament, but her touch from another Imuran inswinger kissed the upright.

In the second half, the Falconets added pace and brilliant use of space to their game, and it was no surprise when Imuran, again with a visionary cross, set up substitute Chioma Olise for Nigeria’s third goal.

Their imperial campaign in the group stage earns the Falconets a quarter-final date with the Netherlands in Alajuela from 1 am on Monday (Nigeria time).

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon