Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

By Tana Aiyejina

Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie is not worried by the quality of opposition in their Paris 2024 Olympic Games women’s football event.

The former African champions battle powerhouses Brazil, Japan and Spain in a tough Group C that analysts dubbed the ‘Group of Death’, but the goalie insists the women’s national team has the wherewithal to qualify from the group.

Having proved critics wrong at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by teaching the last 16 from a group that had hosts Australia, Canada and Ireland, Nnadozie opined that the Falcons had what it took to play against the best.

“This also happened at the last World Cup. We had Canada, Ireland and Australia. Nobody believed in us, they believed we were just coming to participate,” Nnadozie said at an LIS event on Tuesday.

“But we have this team that doesn’t care about what the world is saying. We are mentally and physically prepared, we have young, good and talented players. We are mixed with both old and young players who are experienced and playing in the top European leagues and other countries.”

On how far the Falcons could go in Paris,  the FC Paris keeper added that the team’s major aim was to first progress from the group stage.

She added, “I can’t say much because football is unpredictable. What we want to do is on our mind. We are so ready, we will also go there and make the nation proud.

“What we did at the last World Cup wasn’t the end, we are going to continue, and going to the Olympics, we will try our best to qualify from the group stage.”