Super Falcons Coach Unveils Plans To Defeat Zambia
Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu has revealed that he is not bothered about Zambia’s individual players ahead of the clash against the Copper Queens.
Nigeria will take on Zambia in the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca on Friday.
The Super Falcons defeated Zambia 6-0 in the 2014 edition of the competition before another 4-0 victory in 2018, however, Zambia earned a stunning victory over Nigeria in 2022.
Zambia’s trio of Lushomo Mweemba, Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji were selected in the team of the group stage, and they are expected to pose a threat to Nigeria on Friday.
Madugu said he is not concerned about the threats of Zambia’s individual players while expressing confidence in his tactics for the game.
He said: “We have our strategies; we have watched them several times and we know what they can do. We’ll work on how to neutralize their strength, so we’re not too bothered by the individual players. We know how good they are, but we’re not bothered. We are getting ready for each game, and we’ll have an antidote on the matchday.
He also promised to fix the team’s goalscoring problems in the tournament after scoring four goals in three matches while failing to score against Algeria despite recording 24 shots in the encounter.
Madugu said: “Before this tournament, we were scoring goals in many of our matches.
“But here at WAFCON, scoring has become a problem. We need to start again and put in more effort.”
He added, “We don’t have much time to fix it, but it’s something that is now a serious concern for us. The same players who were scoring before are the ones playing now, so we must figure out what has changed and correct it.”
Similarly, Zambia’s coach, Nora Häuptle said the team is ready to go for victory against Nigeria.
She said: “We are in a comfortable position with five days of rest now. It’s a chance to recover, refresh and observe closely. Whoever we face, we will be ready. If you want to reach the Final and win this tournament, you need to beat everyone.”
The Super Falcons will welcome back midfield ace Deborah Abiodun for the encounter after she missed the clash against Algeria due to suspension.
Nigeria captain Rasheedat Ajibade and Saudi Arabia-based defender Ashleigh Plumptre were selected as part of the Best XI of the group stage, just as Zambia’s trio of Lushomo Mweemba, Barbra Banda and Rachael Kundananji.
Others are Algeria’s goalkeeper Chloe N’gazi-Boumrar, South Africa’s Bambanani Mbane, Fikile Magama and Refiloe Jane, Senegal’s Nguenar Ndiaye and Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak.
Super Falcons Coach Unveils Plans To Defeat Zambia is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
