Falcons will treat opponents with respect, says Okon

Despite been handed an easy draw in 2014 African Women’s Championship, the Super Falcons gaffer has promised that his side will not underrate any team when the competition starts

Super Falcons’ head coach Edwin Okon has admitted that the African Women Championship (AWC) draws appear good for his side but insists that her side will not undervalue any team when the competition gets underway.

The draws which took place in Windhoek on Saturday, Nigeria was drawn in Group A with hosts Namibia, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire while Group B boast has South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana and Algeria.

According to Okon, the pairing looks easy for the Super Falcons but pointed out that the Ivorians that eliminated 2012 champions Equatorial Guinea and hosts Namibia will not be treated with levity.

“All the eight teams that qualified for the competition are good and determined to win the AWC title and that is why we won’t underrate any team. There are no pushovers in women football any longer in Africa,” he said.

“With Ivory Coast sending defending champions Equatorial Guinea out and a Namibian side that will be well motivated by home fans in our group, it will be foolhardy for Super Falcons to be complacent.

“They might look at Group B and say that it is the group of death but the reality is that group A that has the host and a team that beat the cup holders cannot be written off. It is not going to be easy but we won’t disappoint Nigerians,” he concluded.

Coach Okon also revealed that he requested for three international friendlies for the Falcons in his program submitted to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to prepare for the AWC adding that he is hoping to open camp in August.

The AWC finals will hold from October 11 – 25 in Namibia. The winner, runner-up and third place team automatically become Africa’s flag bearers at the 2015 Fifa Women’s’ World Cup billed for Canada.