By Emmanuel Omolah

Nigeria Football Federation, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick has spoken of the need for adequate preparation to put the Super Falcons in a competitive mood ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament coming up in France in June, 2019. Nigerian soccer fans have been calling for improved performance from the national team at the global soccer fiesta. The Super Falcons, fresh from the African Women Cup of Nations victory in Ghana have early on their return from the tournament been granted permission to proceed on short break to be with their families for a while. Haven proved their invincibility on the African continent, the Falcons are being expected by football followers to perform well at France 2019. Nine times African Women’s Cup of Nations winners, Super Falcons will on Saturday December 8, 2018 know their world cup opponents when the draws are made in France. With all the confederations qualifying competition decided, players and coaches now know their opponents and the venues they will be playing at the tournament. Nigeria is drawn in Group A comprising of France, the host, South Korea and Norway. It will be the 8th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup which began in 1991 and Nigeria has featured in all the tournaments. Nigeria recorded her best performance in 1999, reaching the quarter final before losing to Brazil by four goals to three. All the qualifiers for France 2019: From the Asian Football Federation AFC are China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Confederation of African Football CAF zone are Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon. CONMEBOL zone: The qualifiers are Brazil, Chile and Argentina. CONCACAF zone: USA, Canada and Jamaica. Oceania zone: New Zealand. UEFA zone: Host – France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, England and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, it has been Naira rain for the Super Falcons since their return from Ghana where they lifted the African Women’s football title for the ninth time at the expense of South Africa’s Bayana Bayana whom they defeated 4-3 in penalty shoot-out after a goalless extra time. The Falcons are to receive 75 million Naira from billionaires Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu for their gallantry in Ghana. Dangote is giving the team N50 million and Rabiu N25 million. The Falcons were also promised N3.6 million per player by the NFF as their bonuses where tripled. It will be recalled that back in 2016, the Super Falcons protested before receiving their allowances and bonuses despite beating the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in the final of the tenth edition of the continental football fiesta. The Amaju Pinnick-led NFF made efforts to ensure that there was no recurrence of the ugly incident after the recent victory in Ghana.