We think Nigeria can beat England-this is how.
When the final whistle was blown at Suncorp stadium- there were mixed feelings. A lot of Nigerians rejoiced about getting out of the group stage while avoiding defeat during the process. This itself is a remarkable feat given the quality of teams they competed with, however some other Nigerians felt they should have won the group as this would have enabled the Super Falcons top the group and avoid facing England in the round of 16.
Nobody wants to play against England, not right now. After struggling in their first two matches, Sarina Weigman seems to have found her team’s magic, unleashing her lethal weapon-Lauren James (LJ) in the process. The match against China is the first time the Lionesses will be scoring more than five goals in a match since their 7–0 mauling of the Norwegians last year July, and converting their utility player- Rachel Daly to a Wing-back seems to be paying its dividends.
What do we know about the Lionesses?
There were a lot of berating remarks after England’s opener against Haiti. The Lionesses had won the match with a retaken penalty by Georgia Stanway and although the European champions drove the momentum of the game , there were times where it looked like Haiti was going to equalise. It took two decent saves and Mary Earps’ alertness to prevent Melchie Dumornay from equalising.
Their next game was supposed to be an improvement, and it looked like it after the wonderkid, Lauren James scored a goal that left the world agape in the 6th minute. Denmark however stifled the English attackers, limiting them to 4 shots on target despite having 71% of the possession. They also created a lot of chances and even struck the bar in the closing stage of the game.
After the second match, Sarina got back to the drawing board and the result was a switch to 3–4–3, optimising Lucy Bronze’s attacking adventure and Rachel Daly’s instinct to exploit the spaces at the wing while supporting the forwards. The result was a galore of goals in their last match, with James orchestrating goals and assists. At the final whistle of the match, Sarina smiled heartily as she shook her captain’s hands- their potential had been unlocked.
What did we learn?
England attacks better with numbers in the final third and you could see this in LJ’s and Daly’s goals against China. They are also not afraid to take shots either inside or outside the box. Having players like Hemp, James, Stanway, Daly and occasionally Lucy Bronze means you can’t predict where the next shot will come from.
How has Nigeria played?
The Super Falcons have put up a strong defence in the tournament holding some world class attackers at bay in the group stages. The chemistry between centre back pairing, Ohale and Demehin, is a marvel that the world just discovered at the tourney.
Nigeria combines their defensive feats with a fluid attacking playing style. Building up play from their defence and advancing through their flanks, the super falcons are known to play through spaces to their wingers and attackers. The presence of their attacking midfielder, Payne, makes these transitions all the more dangerous, as the ball-moving maestro is confident on the ball and is incisive with her ball distribution to the attackers.
We can not talk about the team without mentioning stand out players: Nnadozie and Oshoala. The 22-year old GK skipper led the team through a difficult group stage. What she lacks in experience, she more than compensates for in skill and composure. Her saves helped Nigeria qualify as runner up in Group B.
Super Zee has also been a leader from the front. Her pace and quick thinking has made her a threat in the box. With a clutch goal against Australia and her presence in the box, she is in pole position to lead the Falcons across another hurdle.
What should Nigeria do?
The Centre-backs need to be disciplined, alert and sturdy enough to prevent the attackers from having a room. The defensive midfielders need to cover the space between themselves and their centre backs, to nullify the time and space the English midfielders need to take a shot.
Going into the attack, Nigeria need to be more decisive on the ball. Pass distribution and take-ons should be made with the sole aim of progressing the attack and attempting to score. This would force the English side to defend more and give the Falcons more time to scavenge for an opportunity to score.
Progressing the ball is just a means to an end which must be met. Oshoala has to be clinical in front of goal. She would need to convert half chances and draw fouls in the penalty area to give her team the advantage. She also needs to communicate and dictate attacking plays from her wingers and midfielders.
In all of these, it is important to note that the English side is ruthless and they know how to exploit mistakes their opponents make. Nigeria would do well to minimise mistakes in sensitive positions and limit turnovers to the bare minimum if they are to win the game.
Nigeria has a squad that can deliver the goods. It would be important for Randy to make the most of his substitute bench as this looks to be a sizzling tactical matchup against the current “world’s best coach”, Sarina Wiegman. With substitutes like Ordega, Oparanozie, Imuran, Gift and Abiodun, He might just be able to pull off yet another African miracle.
Beating England on paper seems an impossible task, but we have seen Korea draw the Germans, South Africa beat the Italians, and if this World cup has taught us any lesson, it is that-nothing is over until the final minute- and for the Super falcons, they have to play with this believe, this mentality and the possibility that they can upset the European champions.
