‘In Nigeria, We Don’t Have Access To Much’, Super Falcons Striker Laments

Super Falcons of Nigeria striker, Ifeoma Onumonu, has faulted the team’s pre-tournament preparation for the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Onumonu who plays her club football for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the United States believes that the Super Falcons don’t have access to the required facilities needed for top performance.

She stated this after England knocked out the Super Falcons from the Women’s World Cup in the round of 16 via penalties on Monday, August 7.

Recall that the clash had to be settled via penalties after the Falcons and the Lionesses failed to score in 120 minutes of football. Unfortunately, the Nigerian team that dominated the English team during open play missed two penalties during the shootouts to crash out of the tournament.

In her reaction to Super Falcons’ exit, Onumonu urged more people to advocate for better training facilities for Falcons in Nigeria, stressing that she has seen the resources “England have access to”.

She added, “In Nigeria, we don’t have access to much. Our training fields aren’t great. Where we sleep isn’t great. Sometimes we share beds. It’s not good. It’s not good enough. In terms of recovery, we don’t have much of any of that. We don’t have access to a gym in a camp in Nigeria.

“There’s a lot that needs to be done. Hopefully, more people will start to talk about it. Coming here it’s hard to adjust. We do what we can because we love playing for our country but hopefully they make it easier for us to do our best.”

Meanwhile, England starlet Lauren James who stamped on Nigerian defender Michelle Alozie during a round of 16 clash could miss the rest of the tournament.

Recall that James was shown a red card after the incident and since she was forced out of the game due to combative behavior, she could be suspended for three matches in line with FIFA rules.

Hence, she might miss the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and even the final of the tournament if England go that far and if FIFA decides to enforce its rules.