Nigeria have potential to reach World cup semi-final, Falcon’s Onome Ebi maintains

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Super Falcons skipper Onome Ebi believes that the team has the quality to reach the semi-final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria, which has competed in the tournament since its inception in 1991, has only reached the quarter-finals once. That was back in 1999.

Despite this, the Abia Angels star believes the record African champions can reach the final four of the Australia/New Zealand football festival.

“Honestly, I will say this is the best of my time with the Super Falcons. I have had good moments but right now is the best because the calibre of players we have in the team is what I cannot explain,” Onome, who will be making her sixth World Cup appearance, told Channels Television’s Sports Tonight  on Friday.

“I will always say this, we are not going there to go and just play. We are going there to be among the four best.”

“I am saying it with all confidence because of the kind of players we have now – young, fast – and players that are top in their leagues right now. And we have experience players as well. So, any kind of player you are looking for, we have them on the team. So, tell me, how will somebody be scared while having this kind of team?”

She hailed the unity in the Super Falcons’ team, saying the mood in the side gives them big confidence that they would do well at the World Cup.

“Right now, our team is like one of the best and most united teams so far,” she said. “We are so united in the team right now and the spirit of the team is so high”.

Nigeria defeated World Cup co-host New Zealand 3-0 in a tune-up game, extending their winning streak to three after a six-match losing run.

And Onome is excited about the development.

“The last game we played, honestly speaking, nobody believed that game will turn out like that,” the defender added.