Victorious Super Falcons get heroes welcome

By Ifeanyi Ibeh


November 16, 2010 03:36AM




The newly crowned champions of Africa, Super Falcons, returned home yesterday afternoon to a rapturous reception at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.


Hundreds of well-wishers, most of who had been at the airport hours before the team's arrival from Johannesburb, jubilated and cheered the team.

The Falcons had done the country proud by winning the 7th edition of the African Women's Championship (AWC) on the back of five straight victories over Mali, South Africa, Tanzania, Cameroon and defending champions Equatorial Guinea.

Moments after their arrival, they were paraded in an open-top trailer before being taken to the domestic wing of the airport from where they boarded an Arik Air aircraft to Abuja for a reception - organised by the federal government.

The presidency commended the Falcons for not only reclaiming the African Women Championship title they failed to defend at the 2008 tournament in Equatorial Guinea, but for also qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup scheduled to hold in Germany in June.

Up next, Germany

Ahead of the World Cup, which will be Nigeria's sixth successive appearance. As part of preparations, the Super Falcons will play an international friendly against Germany on November 25. Because of the match, the team is expected to resume training this weekend after observing a few days of rest.

"I think that the friendly is very close," Eucharia Uche, the team's coach told reporters in Lagos. "As soon as we finish celebrating we will gather together for that game.

"The World Cup is different from the AWC. It is a bigger tournament and we intend to prepare well for it." The game against the Germans will take place in the city of Leverkusen and will see the newly crowned African champions testing their might against the winners of the last two editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Perpetua Nkwocha, the leading goal scorer at the AWC, is happy about the fixture and she called on the Nigeria Football Federation to organise more of such games for the team.

"The NFF must organise many friendly games for us, not against African teams but against European teams.

"I think they are planning to do that because this month we are going to play Germany," said the Sweden-based forward when asked what was needed to help the team prepare for the World Cup.

Official airline congratulates the team

Arik Air, the airline that flew the team home, also joined millions of Nigerians in congratulating the Super Falcons on their victory over Equatorial Guinea in Sunday's AWC final.

The airline's Managing Director/Executive Vice President, Chris Ndulue echoed the sentiments of many in Nigeria by saying: "Congratulations to the Super Falcons from all of us at Arik Air, in reclaiming the African title they lost to Equatorial Guinea two years ago and on becoming six-time champions of Africa." Ndulue said Arik Air is happy to be identified with the team having had the honour of flying the team to and from South Africa.

It's not the first time Arik Air will be flying the national team to or from a major championship.

In May this year, prior to the commencement of the World Cup, the airline stepped in to fly the Super Eagles from London to Durban, South Africa, after the prearranged chartered flight for the team could not operate.