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“She’s not at that level yet” — Ngozi Okobi on Toni Payne’s Women’s World Cup display
By: Monsurah Olatunji
Ngozi Okobi feels that she could have double better than Toni Payne at Nigeria’s Women’s World Cup, as she observes the Sevilla star is not at that level yet.
Okobi was part of the Super Falcons squd to the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) but was cuspiciously missing from the World Cup roster despite inspiring the 1-0 quarterfinal winner against Cameroon.
Payne created seven chances against England, the most by a single player in a knockout stage game so far at this Women’s World Cup and she’s one of the most significant players in the Super Falcons squad.
Inspite of Payne’s expliots,29-year-old Okobi believes that she would have made the difference in the Round of 16 clash against England, stressing that insisted her talent cannot be easily swayed or replaced.
“She (Toni Payne) is not at that level yet,” Okobi said on X (Twitter) spaces with journalist Osasu Obayiuwana.
“Those are the kind of games I play, and I play very well. The Super Falcons still need a player like me, we need creative players like me, and I have a talent that nobody else can replace right now and the Super Falcons lack that.
“Toni Payne did her best, and I told her that she did well, but she’s not there yet. She’s not at that level yet, but she’s a very good player.
“In the last game, I felt like a part of the team. I felt too bad because I wanted them to win. I wanted to be there. I felt like I was there physically, and I felt we should have done more than this.
“We lack finishing and experienced strikers up front. The defense was good, but we should have killed that game. I expected that to take that as an advantage.”
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