Thomas Dennerby, Head Coach of the Super Falcons on Tuesday expressed delight at his team’s semi-final victory over the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, saying that the next target was to retain the trophy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that holders, Nigeria beat Cameroon 4-2 on penalties to reach the final and also pick the first of three tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, “France 2019.”
Dennerby in his post match comment said on the African Football Confederation, CAF, website that the game was a gruelling encounter as expected.
“It was a game we expected to be difficult and it proved to be nothing short. I feel the fans loved every bit of it in spite of its going 120 minutes without a goal.
“My team started the game on the back foot, especially in the first 15 minutes as Cameroon dominated. But we quickly regrouped and came back into the game. Both teams played well and sold a good game out to Africa and the rest of the world.
“The penalty shootout was one that we have been practicing at training for some time now and today the players executed it to perfection.
“For now we celebrate and prepare for the final match on Saturday. We are happy that we have won the game and picked one of the three tickets to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Like I said yesterday (Monday), now that we have that out of the way, the next target is retaining the trophy,” Dennerby said.
Joseph Ndoko, Head Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, on his part said that his side did not deserve to lose as they were the better side at the end of 120 minutes of an intense encounter.
“It was a very difficult match and I think we deserved better in the regulation time because we had a lot of possession and created more chances than in our previous games.
“In football, once it goes into penalties, there’s little you can do because the onus now falls on the players to reprint all that we have learnt about it and keep their composure to score.
“Indeed, we planned for revenge like I said yesterday, but we couldn’t and once again we got beaten by Nigeria.
“It will be very difficult to talk to the girls tonight because they are all crying in the dressing room and I know it will continue to the hotel.
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“Who knows, maybe I will join them too in my room because the defeat hurts,” he said.
Ndoko, however, noted that his side still took consolation in the fact that they were still in the chase to get the only remaining ticket left for the Women’s World Cup.
“We will shake off the result hopefully by tomorrow and pick ourselves up and prepare well for the third and fourth place match on Friday against whichever team.
“But I must add that I am proud of my team. They played to instructions and gave it their all. We were just unfortunate at the penalty shootout yet again,” he said.
