WAFCON 2022: South Africa legend blames age for Nigeria’s decline

The Tremendous Falcons misplaced through penalties to Morocco and missed out on defending their African title in addition to a ten^th crown

South African legend Portia Modise has carpeted Nigeria for its reliance on previous gamers as a substitute of giving alternatives to youthful gamers as a motive for its downfall in Morocco.

The Tremendous Falcons, who had been diminished to 9 gamers, misplaced 5-4 through penalties after full time and additional time ended 1-1 towards hosts Morocco in Monday’s second semifinal recreation in Rabat.

Modise, who scored 101 objectives for Banyana Banyana throughout her profession, mentioned that Nigeria have misplaced their successful edge as a result of they hold fielding many aged gamers that must have retired as a substitute of giving alternatives to youthful gamers from their Beneath 20s. Nevertheless, solely three gamers are aged 34 and older within the Nigeria squad – captain Onome Ebi (39), midfielder Rita Chikwelu (34) and goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi (35).

“One factor that I see within the Nigerian staff is that they don’t need to let go of the senior gamers. They should give the younger gamers a possibility. Expertise alone just isn’t going to work,” mentioned the 39-year-old, who retired in 2015 after taking part in for 15 years with Banyana Banyana, throughout a media occasion organized by FIFA forward of the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup.

“I see gamers that I used to play towards, however now I’m retired, they’re nonetheless there. We have to give an opportunity to the younger children and younger technology which are coming.”

Modise additionally mentioned that Nigeria’s absence from the ultimate is a chance for South Africa or Morocco to win the WAFCON title for the primary time whereas the Tremendous Falcons can attempt to perceive what went improper with their marketing campaign.

“I’m so joyful that Nigeria just isn’t a part of the ultimate. They’ve been dominating us for therefore a few years,” Modise mentioned.

“However it offers them a possibility to return residence, to return to the drafting board and see come again with a successful mentality.”

In Saturday’s ultimate, Banyana have a possibility to win their first title after 5 second place finishes up to now. It is a chance that Modise hopes that coach Desiree Ellis and her gamers will deliver to fruition.

Modise additionally thinks that the rise in World Cup slots to 4 for Africa implies that extra groups get to play on the massive stage to assist develop girls’s soccer on the continent.

“The sport is altering within the minds of lots of people. It’s now left to sponsors that must take the chance and say they need to develop the ladies’s recreation,” Modise mentioned.

The 4 semifinalists on the WAFCON South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria and Zambia have all certified, with the Lionesses and the Copper Queens reaching the World Cup for the primary time.

Modise believes that the regional qualifying technique adopted by CAF has resulted in additional groups getting a possibility to play on the WAFCON despite the fact that it implies that groups like Ghana must take care of Nigeria within the WAFU Zone, one thing that led to their failure to qualify for this 12 months’s WAFCON and no probability of reaching the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand subsequent 12 months.

Nonetheless, she hopes that African groups will be capable of impress on the World Cup regardless of the gulf in school and expertise between them and the remainder of the world.

Ticket gross sales for the Ladies’s World Cup will start in September through the FIFA web site.