Daily Independent Online.
*
Monday,June 14, 2004.
NFA set to name new Falcons coach
By Ejiro
Femi-Babafemi
Reporter, Lagos
A new coach for the
Super Falcons expected to tackle their Senegalese counterparts in an Africa
Women Championship qualifier would be named any moment from now by the Nigeria
Football Association. The new coach is to raise a team for the first leg encounter
on July 3 in Dakar, Senegal.
Sources informed Daily
Independent that the new helmsman might take over from the incumbent to
lead the Africa champions to the championship scheduled for South Africa in
September. The implication of the change means that incumbent coach, Ismaila
Mabo presently preparing the girls for the Athens games will be relieved of his
duties shortly after the fiesta.
“From what l
know, Mabo cannot lead the girls to South Africa because we discovered that he
lacks the expertise to do so. We want a coach that is aggressive and abreast of
developments,” said the source.
Mabo who took
over from Sam Okpodu has come
under knocks from critics who think he lacks the technical depth to tinker the female national
team. This became evident when the Falcons managed to defeat the South Africans
for the sole ticket for the games.
The source declined
to mention the names of the favoured coach but hinted that his credentials are good.
Mabo it will be
recalled guided the team to the 1999 Female World Cup in USA to reach the
quarter finals, before calling it quits but resurfaced last year to lead the
team to the Africa Games soccer
gold.
Meanwhile, the
sports ministry has drafted a
German to oversee the technical department of the team during its camping in
Germany before the Olympics.
