Falconets on their way to Japan

Ahead of the FIFA U-20
Women’s World Cup
finals in Japan, the U-20
Women National Team,
Falconets, will arrive in
Tokyo on Wednesday.
The female team, after
a road trip from their
Namhae Sports Park
Hotel, will fly from the
Gimpo International
Airport in Seoul for the
six-hour trip to Tokyo.
The delegation is made
up of 21 players and 11
officials, and will be led
by the Chief Technical
Officer of the Nigeria
Football Federation,
Abdul-Rafiu Yusuf, a
former Nigeria
international striker.
Drawn in Group B of the
August 19 – September
8 finals in Japan,
alongside Korea
Republic, Brazil and Italy,
the Falconets appear to
have their work cut out,
but Head Coach Edwin
Okon said on Tuesday
that his girls have
nothing to fear in the
Far East.
“Our pedigree and
current capacity stand
us in good stead. As
vice champions of the
world, we fear no team.
If the 2010 squad could
finish in second place,
beating USA along the
way, there is no team
here in Japan that we
will not be able to
confront with good
measure of
confidence,” Okon said.
The former Super
Falcons’ assistant coach
steered his girls through
a barnstorming African
qualifying campaign in
which they scored 13
goals and conceded
none in four matches.
The Falconets play
Korea Republic at 6 p.m.
Japan time on Sunday
at the Saitama World
Cup Stadium, the same
venue where they will
confront Brazil on
Wednesday, August 22.
Their final group phase
match is against Italy
at the Kobe World Cup
Stadium on Sunday,
August 26.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria
Football Federation has
finalised arrangements
with the Nigerian
Embassy in Tokyo to
have the girls served
Nigerian food on some
of their free days, in
order for them to feel
at home.Well,let's see how proud they will make us.blah!