Female national team, Super Falcons’ former handler, Kadiri Ikhana has declared that all the players in the current squad know what is at stake in their last group match at the African Women Cup of Nations in Ghana, and believes they will not take the game for granted.
Speaking to sports247.ng on Friday, Ikhana said the Falcons must go for victory against Equatorial Guinea, in order to confirm their semi-finals spot on Saturday.
He admitted that the Falcons’ opening group 1-0 loss to South Africa was a shock for all Nigerians, but reasoned it must have been caused by loss of concentration and overconfidence, which he stressed should not be repeated against the two-time champions.
Although Equatorial Guinea have turned out to be a stark difference from their previous lethal best, which saw them win the AWCON twice and only other country apart from Nigeria to claim the title, Ikhana said they cannot be written off.
After losing 5-0 to Zambia in their opening match, Equatorial Guinea lost 7-1 to South Africa, such that they are already out of the race for semi-final tickets, but Ikhana says they will want to go out fighting.
Ikhana stated: “The players know what is at stake. I am sure they will not toy with this last group match.
“It is a must-win match, and I expect them to come out for it with their full arsenal. They must come out fully to win at the end of the day.
“Remember that you may not start well, but it is important to finish well. But, I am sure they now have the right tonic from that victory against Zambia, and they will do everything to beat Equatorial Guinea as well.”
