2016 AWCON semi-final: Falcons are unstoppable —Uche

Former Super Falcons head coach, Eucharia Uche believes the team are as good as playing in the final.

Nigeria will today face SouthAfrica in the semi-final of the ongoing Africa Women’s  Cup of Nations in Cameroon billed for 7pm Nigeria time at the Stade Municipal de Limbe, Limbe.

“Nigeria are destined to play in the final as well as retain the title at the end of the day so it does not matter whether they are playing South Africa, Cameroon or Ghana.

“I believe that the Falcons have played the South African side several times in the past to know them better, as well as fashion out a winning programme to unsettle the side.

“The Falcons have the experience, exposure and knowledge to understand that the knock-out stage is winner takes all to avoid complacency or underrate the opponents.

“The semis teams are angling for the top prize so the Falcons are expected to have the thought at the back of their minds to take the chances as well as play as a team, not caring who scores the goals.

“A cursory look at the matches and players showed we have an array of foreign-based players in the Falcons, from the first 11 to those on the bench.

“The Falcons, too have equally profited from the exposure of the U-20 players so they have what it takes to come back home with the title.

“The Falcons had not been poor though not 100 per cent against Mali, Ghana and Kenya. I know the challenge of South Africa will certainly bring out the best in them,” the former striker and Bayelsa Queens coach told supersport.com.

It will be recalled that South Africa pipped Nigeria 1-0 in the semi-final of the African showpiece in 2012.

Meanwhile, Banyana Banyana midfielder, Nompulelelo Nyandeni says playing Nigeria is always like playing a cup final.

“It is always a battle of the best when we face Nigeria. The rivalry between us started long before our days in the national team, and playing against the Super Falcons is always like a cup final, regardless of the stage of the tournament. In any case once you are in the last four you can’t pick and choose,’’ she said.

Those teams did not get there by fluke, and to get to the top you have to go past them,” the long-serving Banyana midfielder said.

“It is not going to be an easy game and I am confident we can walk away with victory. We have beaten them before and, to do that again, we will have to play as a team. It took us three matches to start scoring goals in this tournament, so our confidence levels are on a high after the win against Egypt.”

Nyandeni added that the Falcons can’t surprise them tonight saying “We have been watching their matches since the start of the tournament, and will now analyse them with the technical team. They are a very balanced side, just like us, and they are not impossible to beat. If we settle early in the match, and follow our game tactics, then I believe we stand a good chance of overcoming them.”