England women book quarter-final spot with victory over Nigeria
- England women book quarter-final spot with victory over Nigeria.
- Nigeria displayed an impressive performance.
- Nigeria deserves praise for the excellent performance.
England secured a spot in the last 16 of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia by defeating Nigeria in a penalty shootout.
Despite a valiant effort by Nigeria, the Super Falcons couldn’t overcome England’s performance in the shootout.
Throughout the match, Nigeria displayed an impressive performance, creating numerous scoring opportunities against the European champions. Despite their world ranking of 40, they defied expectations with their excellent combination of speed, strength, and teamwork.
In the end, the game ended in a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes of play. Nigeria had a couple of close attempts denied by hitting the post, and their nerves seemed to play a part in the penalty shootout, which ultimately favored England. Nonetheless, Nigeria’s spirited and dynamic play throughout the tournament showcased their potential and prowess on the field.
“They’ve been fantastic the whole tournament,” coach Randy Waldrum told reporters after the England loss. “I said to them after the match we’ve not lost a game realistically (outright).
“We’ve played against the Olympic gold medallists (Canada), the European champions and we kept a clean sheet in both of those games.
“We played the host nation (Australia) and Ireland, who are in the top 20, and we didn’t lose.
“I hope people have seen that there is talent there and that we have the ability, and with a little structure and a little organisation, and a commitment to provide the resources that we need, hopefully people see that we can be a major player on the world stage.”
Despite the team’s excellent performance on the field, there have been internal conflicts regarding payment, with Waldrum openly criticizing the Nigeria football federation, risking his position as a coach.
This has raised concerns that some individuals may be seeking his dismissal, and if he departs, the team’s future will be uncertain, as several players may start contemplating their own career options.
“I am proud of my team. I want to stay with this team and continue working towards the Olympics (next year). But that is not a matter for me to decide,” Waldrum conceded.
During a podcast that was broadcasted last month before the tournament, he disclosed that he hadn’t received his salary for seven months, and some of his players had gone unpaid for two years.
“At some point there has got to become a realisation about all the things we do day-to-day with how the federation treats the players and how they provide resources for proper training, travel and all those issues,” he told reporters before the tournament.
However, the concern about the future can be addressed at a later time. Currently, Nigeria deserves praise for the excellent performance they displayed on the field and the promising potential of their squad to achieve even greater success in the future.
“We don’t want to take the success now and not continue to move forward when we get back to Nigeria,” Waldrum said.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.
Read More News On
Catch all the Sports News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News
Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Live News.