The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on Sunday 26th June with a Group A match that sees African Champions Nigeria play emerging European powerhouse France at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena in Sinsheim, Germany.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have been a main stay in the Women’s game and are known for a powerful style predicated on endurance. The majority of these players play their club soccer in Scandinavia, more specifically in Sweden where the players have learned the technical side of the game to a great degree.

[img]http://4.bp..com/_kC5MT2r5U8s/TPMhYpq163I/AAAAAAAARRo/9UMK5-A8uL8/s1600/10Nigeria+super+falcons.jpg[/img]
_{Super Falcons of Nigeria}

Coach Uche Eucharia has done wonders for the African side since after being appointed and is well respected. In fact, she was the only female coach at the most recent African Championships in which her team came out tops.

The key player for the team is Perpetua Nkwocha; even at 35 years old she is still one of the more clinical forwards in the Women’s game. She is also well decorated, winning 4 Women’s African Soccer Championships and 3 African Women’s Player of the Year awards; she is the clear leader of what is mostly a youthful side. Other important players for the Nigerian team are Rita Chikwelu, Glory Iroka and Desire Oparanozie.

As for France, this is a team that is quickly on the rise and has made their first World Cup appearance since 2003 where they exited in the First Round. In that year they were in a tough group with Norway, South Korea and Brazil and this time around it’s a similar story with Germany, Canada and Nigeria.

[img]http://www.lequipe.fr/Medias/Football/200908/430x313/equipe-de-france-feminine.jpg[/img]
_{Le Bleues Feminine}

The aspect of this team that gives them an advantage is familiarity, as they are all ply their trade in the French League, this is one of the strongest leagues in Women’s soccer and most of the players reside with either Lyon or Paris Saint- Germain which are two of the strongest club teams in Europe.

Coach Bruno Bini is one of the best coaches in the Women’s game, and knows all of these players very well being within the French Female set up since 1993 with the U16 side. The key players for Les Bleus are Camille Abily and Eugénie Le Sommer.  Abily has experience in the U.S playing with FC Gold Pride of the WPS while Le Sommer is a rising talent on the French frontline

MeGaStReEt:

I dont trust Precious Dede

MeGaStReEt:
I dont trust Precious Dede

lekyar:
Seconded, she's too jittery when put under pressure.

Are you guys psychic or what cos both of you just spoke my mind. The FIFA Technical committee mentioned her as the weakest link in the Nigerian team @ the last world cup and Olympics and I'm surprised she's still the first choice goalie. How I wish we could borrow USA's Hope Solo or the Equatorial Guinea goalie cos both are very good

Someone needs to tell Precious Dede an aerial ball been contested with her should be punched away and not caught. It was her mistake of trying to catch a ball over an Equatorial Guinea player's head in the AWC final that led to EG's first goal. I hope she's learned from her mistake and the goalie trainer has drilled this into her. Apart from the ''aerial ball'' problem, I think she can dive, parry and her reflexes are okay.

honeric01:
But do we have a formidable replacement?

youngbest:

My problem with the falcons is there backline, in the last nations cup it was not well organised and if not for the frontline we would have payed for the mistakes they made.

Tcrack:

Jesus . why e be sey na only wor-woh girls dey our national team?

Tcrack:

Jesus . why e be sey na only wor-woh girls dey our national team?

semid4lyfe:

Are you guys psychic or what cos both of you just spoke my mind. The FIFA Technical committee mentioned her as the weakest link in the Nigerian team @ the last world cup and Olympics and I'm surprised she's still the first choice goalie. How I wish we could borrow USA's Hope Solo or the Equatorial Guinea goalie cos both are very good

Someone needs to tell Precious Dede an aerial ball been contested with her should be punched away and not caught. It was her mistake of trying to catch a ball over an Equatorial Guinea player's head in the AWC final that led to EG's first goal. I hope she's learned from her mistake and the goalie trainer has drilled this into her. Apart from the ''aerial ball'' problem, I think she can dive, parry and her reflexes are okay.

I think the second choice goalie, Tochukwu Oluehi is better than Precious Dede but I doubt Coach Uche Eucharia has the balls to bench her captain