31st October, 2012
After surviving the scare of the Lionesses of Cameroon in their opening Group B match at the ongoing 8th African Women Championship, AWC in Equatorial Guinea, former Super Eagles player, Tijani Babanginda has tasked strikers of the Super Falcons to be more aggressive.
The Falcons struggled before they tamed the Lionesses 2-1 in their first group match played at the Nkoantoma Stadium, Bata on Monday, but the former Ajax Amsterdam of Holland winger said the Falcons would have scored many goals if the strikers were adventurous.
The former VVV Venlo of Holland player, charged the team to always utilise their chances in subsequent matches because they could rue missed chances when they come against tougher teams.
“The Falcons are a strong side no doubt, but they should always be goals conscious, they must always take their chances because if they fail it could work against their quest to retaining the trophy they won two years ago in South Africa”.
He however advised the players against being selfish, urging them to work for the success of the team because if the team fail, all of them would fail.
On the chances of team qualifying from their group, Babangida said there is no cause for alarm, but warned them not to underrate any team because “There are no longer minnows in football. The Falcons may be the defending champions, the other teams would want to create an upset by attempting to defeat them, hence the need to take all the teams serious”.
He concluded by advising Coach Kadiri Ikhana not to change his team saying “You don’t change a winning team, Ikhana should stick to the team that defeated Cameroon on Monday in all the games unless if any of the players is injured”.
The Falcons would on Thursday confront Ethiopia in their next group game.
—Adebobola Alawode