An England win is many pundits’ prediction; thus, Monday’s match against Nigeria would be a foregone conclusion. Except for the ever-believing Nigerian fan, who has witnessed football miracles in the past. The 1989 feat by the U-20 team against the defunct Soviet Union and the comeback against Brazil at the 1996 Olympic Games readily spring to mind.
But will it be a miracle if/when the Super Falcons triumph over the English Lionesses on Monday? Not so. The Nigerian team qualified for the round of 16 by outlasting better FIFA-ranked teams, and in none of the matches, have they been lucky; they have shown they have the technical and athletic capacity to give as good as they get.
Just before the last group game against the Republic of Ireland, Coach Randy Waldrum said, “Now we’re here, we have to do what good teams do – we have to learn to finish the job.” While the Falcons have been refreshingly surprising by going through their group without losing, the task…
