WAFCON 2022: Super Falcons must address lapses ahead World Cup, Izilein

Godwin Izilein, ex-Coach of the Super Falcons, says that Falcons will have a poor showing at the World Cup if they proceed with the same mentality in their campaign at Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Izilein spoke with our correspondent in Calabar on Monday and described Super Falcons outing in Morocco as “disastrous.”

He said that the Falcons performance in Morocco left nothing in doubt that the foreign handler had not added any value to the team.

The former Super Falcons coach pointed out that Nigeria had lost her leadership position in Africa Women Football.

According to him, “Whichever way anyone wishes to look at it, the girls had a disastrous outing in Morocco”.

“We are wasting money on hiring foreign coaches. They are doing this to the detriment of the local coaches.

“The girls couldn’t have given more than what they have. Simply put, they executed on the field of play, what and how they were trained.

“If the coach were to be a local one, his sack would have been announced right in Morocco.”

He stressed that some of the players that the coach took to the WAFCON had no business in the team.

Izilein said there were better and younger players desirous for success that were left out of the team.

“We have younger and talented players who could have been taken to Morocco, but no, he (Coach) took some of the girls that have passed their prime,” he stated.

He said if nothing urgent was done, Nigeria would have a disastrous outing at the World Cup to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

“The management of Nigeria football must make money available in earnest to start preparation for the World Cup, because the team has not shown that they will do well at the World Cup,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria female senior team lost out in the third place march 0-1 to Zambia after they were edged out in the finals by the host Morocco.

The 2022 WAFCON was concluded on Saturday with the Moroccans losing the final to South Africa 1-2.