You can count on us assure confident Super Falcons

The fans should be rest assured that the Super Falcons will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, according to the players themselves.

The nine-time African champions take a slim 1-0 win to Pretoria Tuesday night with the overall winners of the final playoff booking their flight to the summer Olympics.

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade, whose penalty goal earned Nigeria a home win over South Africa, promised the team to give everything to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

“We are not under any illusions. It is going to be a big and tough fight. For us, we have 90 minutes standing between us and the long-elusive ticket to the Olympics and we will give it our all,” vowed Atletico Madrid forward Ajibade.

“We want Nigerians to believe in the Super Falcons. The players are motivated by the keen desire to play in the Olympics.

“Personally, I have played at every tournament you can think of, except the Olympics. The time to do it is now.”

Ajibade added: “At the end of the day, the grass will be green and it will be eleven players against eleven players. We are ready.”

France-based goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was again outstanding in the first match in Abuja and said they are prepared for a massive battle in Pretoria.

“The Super Falcons are used to big battles. This one will not be any different. Australia were playing in their home ground at the World Cup, but we defeated them,” said Nnadozie

The goal-tender was referring to last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, when the Falcons edged the Matildas 3-2 in front of their home fans in Brisbane, and thus guaranteed a spot for themselves at the tournament’s Round of 16.

Nnadozie was also in goal when the Falcons overwhelmed hosts Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in a Women Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying match in Abidjan more than two years ago, and has also been in goal in the two earlier away matches in these qualifying series, in which the Falcons earned a 1-1 draw in Addis Ababa and 0-0 draw in Douala.

Home advantage has severally been proved to be a mirage in football, even in the on-going qualifying series, with Zambia defeating Ghana in Accra, Morocco defeating Tunisia 2-1 away, South Africa trouncing Tanzania 3-0 in Dar es Salaam and Morocco also defeating Zambia 2-1 in Ndola in the first leg of their own final qualifying fixture on Friday.

The Super Falcons trained in the premises of their hotel on Saturday morning and also trained at the MKO Abiola National Stadium on Sunday morning, before departing Abuja for Lagos aboard an Air Peace flight to connect their flight to South Africa on Sunday night.

Nine-time African champions Nigeria will arrive in Johannesburg on Monday morning, and then do a one-hour road trip to Pretoria.

They are scheduled to have the official training at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium by 7.30pm (6.30pm Nigeria time) on Monday.

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