The Nigeria women’s senior national team captain, Onome Ebi is upbeat about the chances of Super Falcons at this year’s world cup slated for July in Australia and New Zealand.
Ebi is the longest-serving Nigerian defender and has played in five FIFA World Cup finals (USA 2003, China 2007, Germany 2011, Canada 2015, and France 2019).
The 39-year-old will be making her sixth appearance at football’s top table for women and she is set to become the oldest player in history to feature at this year’s competition when the Falcons take on co-hosts Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland in Melbourne and Brisbane this summer.
With the pool of talents in the Nigeria squad, the defender believes it is time to defy every odd that led to her team’s second-round exit from the tournament in 2019 at the forthcoming global showpiece.
Meanwhile, the former African champions return to winning ways as they concluded their latest international break with a 3-0 win over World Cup co-host New Zealand at the Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday.
Ebi opened the scoring with a powerful header firing a warning to their counterparts.
Nigeria is one of only seven nations to have participated in every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991, with its highest achievement being a quarterfinal finish.
Speaking to the CAF media during the countdown show to the tournament, Ebi insisted that Nigeria has what it takes to go all the way and bring home the gong.
“Our ambition is to do our best. We approach this World Cup with the mindset of performing to our utmost best and conquering.
“We had some disappointments at the last Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) where we did not put in the best performance.
“But now we have the opportunity at the World Cup where we do not want to disappoint again.
“I have faith in my team and I like our current state of mind. The team is united and I believe we will be able to do great things at the World Cup. We are motivated and we want to hoist Nigeria’s flag to the highest point.
“The ball is in our court as players and we have to do everything to be on fire physically and mentally for this opportunity.”
MOLATsportgist 