Canada 2015: NFF shops foreign coach for Falcons

…as USA names 23-woman squad

Barely two months to the commencement of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is currently making plans to get a foreign technical assistant attached to the Super Falcons.

This is even as the United States of America yesterday, named its team that would battle Nigeria, Sweden and Australia at the championship.

Though, the would-be Falcons foreign technical assistant has not been known, National Mirror gathered that the NFF Technical Committee chaired by Felix Anyansi- Agwu has been saddled with the responsibility to initiate and finalise talks with a sound and experienced coach whose technical input could guarantee the country better outing in Canada.

Super Falcons, the best female team in Africa is yet to go passed the second round since the Women’s World Cup started in 1991.

And despite a humiliating 9-1 aggregate defeat over Mali last Saturday, most NFF top brass were still not impressed.

“The team was able to subdue their opponents due to weak opposition. Based on the performance of the girls in that match against Mali, it was very obvious that what we presented was not a World Cup team,” our impeccable sourced said.

He continued, “We scored that high number of goals due to weak opposition and individual brilliance of the players. There was no team work and the girls could not put five good passes together before the opponents would intercept them.

“In all the goals, there was no proper build up towards it. We are going to the World Cup to meet the best in the World, so we must not take chances, but go with the best.

“It would surprise you that some of the foreignbased players were complaining against the level of trainings they receive whenever they come to the national team. They complained of no tactical trainings.”

The NFF had few weeks back employed a US-based Nigerian as the Falcons’ psychologist, a development our source described as good for the country’s female teams.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Coach Jill Ellis announced the US 23 player rooster to play in this year’s FIFA Women World Cup in Canada.

Ellis handed call-ups to veterans Amy Wambach and Christie Ramponeas as the squad is also populated by players who have been to two or more World Cup finals.

Ellis and her charges will be hoping to go one further by winning the 2015 edition after losing out to Japan on penalties in the last edition.

USA squad:

Goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign) Defenders: Lori Chalupny (Chicago Red Stars), Whitney Engen (Western NY Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Houston Dash), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)

Midfielders: Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars), Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns), Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign)

Forwards: Sydney Leroux (Western NY Flash), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City), Abby Wambach (unattached)