Several football coaches based in Abuja have urged the Falconets to be more efficient in front of goal in order to overcome Venezuela in their final group match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s football team struggled to capitalize on their goal-scoring opportunities during their 3-1 defeat to Germany on Thursday in Colombia.
The Falconets face Venezuela on Saturday in their last group match, aiming to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
In separate interviews, the coaches pointed out that the team’s failure to convert chances and their defensive approach contributed to the loss against their more experienced European opponents.
Phillip Attah, one of the coaches, mentioned that while Falconets’ coach Christopher Danjuma has worked to bring out the best in his talented squad, the team’s performance hasn’t fully come together yet.
“In spite of employing a counter-attacking strategy against Germany, the Falconets were unable to secure a win.
“However, it’s worth noting that the team’s performance against Germany showed promise, and they will need to build on that momentum to secure a win against Venezuela on Saturday.
“I wish them the best of luck,” he said.
Joyce Agubata a football coach said that the team’s counter-attacking strategy against Germany created several opportunities, but poor finishing and Germany’s imposing goalkeeper, Rebecca Adamczyk, made it difficult for them to score.
“ The Falconets’ destiny is still in their hands, and a win against Venezuela will take Nigeria’s point tally to six, which will certainly be enough to make it past the group stages.
“ In spite of their loss to Germany, they can still advance to the knockout stages due to the tournament’s new 24-team format.
“ Falconets need to tighten up their defense, they have a good chance of securing a win against Venezuela and advancing,” she said.
Hassana Adamu, a grassroots coach said that the team’s 3-1 loss to Germany has left them with work to do in their final group match.
“ In spite of their best efforts, Falconets were unable to capitalize on their scoring chances, leading to their defeat.
“ The team will need to regroup and come up with a new strategy in other to advance in the tournament.
“ I believe the Falconets coaches crew are disappointed with the team’s performance against Germany, particularly with their formation and goal-scoring strategies.
“To beat Venezuela, they will need to improve their finishing skills, as they had multiple opportunities to score against Germany but only converted one,” she said.
Others are of the opinion that the Falconets’ performance against Germany showed promise, and they will need to build on that momentum to secure a win in their next match against Venezuela.
Nigeria’s women’s under-20 national football team will play Venezuela on Saturday at 11 p.m. at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia.