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An NWSL education’: America’s impact on the Nigeria women’s team
Nigeria team picture during the 2022 Womens Africa Cup of Nations game between Nigeria and South Africa at Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on 4 July 2022 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
By Nick Miller
Jul 14, 2022
Ifeoma Onumonu and Toni Payne go way back. They knew each other when they were kids, before they even started playing football in college, Onumonu for the University of California and Payne at Duke. They played together for the USA Under-23s side in 2017. They dreamed of one day playing at the highest international level — maybe even in the World Cup.
They did not think that would happen in Nigeria shirts.
But they are one game away from qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, and three victories from helping the Super Falcons clinch an extraordinary tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in 12 attempts.
“That’s the craziest part about this sport,” Onumonu, a forward for New Jersey-based NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, told The Athletic after Nigeria beat Burundi 4-0 in their final group game of the latter tournament.
“You never know where it’s going to take you. We both find ourselves in a place where we couldn’t have imagined. It’s crazy how paths diverge and come back together.”
Onumonu and Payne, who plays her club football for Sevilla in Spain, are two of five US-born players in the Nigeria squad competing at the tournament in Morocco, under Texan coach Randy Waldrum. The others are Toni’s younger sister Nicole, Houston Dash defender Michelle Alozie and goalkeeper Yewande Balogun.
Another six – including Leicester-born defender Ashleigh Plumptre — have played in the US at some stage, either in the NWSL or in college, meaning nearly half their squad were born in or undertook a significant part of their football education in America.
It’s not uncommon for those who have African heritage to choose to play for the land of their families rather than the country where they were born. Morocco’s squad, for example
Nigeria by no means rely only on those players.
Indeed, both history and the quality of their squad suggests they would still be favourites for this tournament without them. The brilliant Ajibade has been their player of the tournament so far. Captain Onome Ebi is a rock in defence and if you get past her, you’ve still got fellow centre-back Osinachi Ohale to deal with. Christy Ucheibe has just won the Portuguese title with Benfica. Six members of this year’s squad have four WAFCON winners’ medals — veteran midfielder Rita Chikwelu has five.
This year, they have had to cope with losing arguably their biggest star, Asisat Oshoala — currently with Barcelona, and formerly of Liverpool and Arsenal — to a knee ligament injury after their first game. Oshoala was top scorer in 2016 and player of the tournament in 2014, and while losing a player of that calibre should theoretically be a significant setback, Nigeria are one of the few teams in the tournament who can absorb a blow like that.
“We’re playing for her, we’re playing for the nation,” said Ajibade. “Emotionally she’s here with us.” When asked if there was now more pressure on her to be the team’s star player in Oshoala’s absence, she said: “Everybody on the team is a star player.”
While nobody in the Nigeria camp will admit to concentrating on anything other than these next few games, starting with a quarter-final against Cameroon in Casablanca today (Thursday), the big target is the 2023 World Cup.
WAFCON doubles as World Cup qualification, and its semi-finalists are guaranteed spots in next year’s tournament in New Zealand and Australia.
Despite their continental dominance, Nigeria have never made it past the group stage of a World Cup, and beefing up their squad with these US-based players, to complement the likes of Oshoala, Ebi and Ajibade, is part of the drive to improve their record on the global stage.
For the moment though, Waldrum, Onumonu, the Paynes and the rest of the squad have Cameroon and a 10th title in their sights
is licks until they get serious. just look at haiti and jamaica, they have less infrastructure and resources yet they are out performing us on every level. all these monkeys like to spend their money on is feting and a good times, but things to lift our quality of life, no one cares. it's shameful.
Trinidad and Tobago may opt out regional youth tournaments due to financial and visa woes
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)
TRINIDAD AND Tobago may opt out of the forthcoming Concacaf Girls Under-15 Championship and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys Under-14 Challenge Series owing to financial constraints and visa issues.
The girls’ tournament kicks off in Tampa, Florida, US on July 31 while the boys’ competition takes place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in August.
A statement issued by the T&T Football Association (TTFA) on Sunday said that, “After much deliberation, we are now facing the possibility of taking the very tough decision of withdrawing.
“A number of factors have contributed to this decision including challenges in securing the necessary travel visas to the United States along with financial constraints for air travel to the US and Dominican Republic.”
It added that since the venue for the Girls U-15 Championship was announced on June 6, the TTFA tried valiantly to get the necessary documents in order.
“Despite our best efforts to communicate with all relevant stakeholders, even prior to that date, we have been unsuccessful in obtaining US travel visa appointments for 20 players and staff, while being cognisant of the well documented backlog of applications for US travel visa matters, as a result of the covid19 pandemic.”
The statement said the TTFA has also been engaging with the Sports Company of T&T for assistance in obtaining the necessary funding for air travel to the two tournaments.
The TTFA stated that it “acted in good faith and proceeded with the preparations for the respective tournaments through our High Performance programme for the respective age-groups over the past few months.
“The TTFA will continue to explore available options and will keep you updated on any further developments.”
The association said that it has worked closely with stakeholders to meet all requirements necessary for the participation of its national teams in the various international competitions.
“Over the past two years, several of our teams have competed in different tournaments ranging from the senior men’s and women’s World Cup qualifying campaigns, the U-20 men and women, the U-17 women, the beach soccer men and futsal men’s qualifiers,” the statement added.
T&T Senior Women off to Monterrey.Is there a significant player with international experience who just recently scored about 30 + plus goals missing from the names among this team? I eh want to K reate any Confusion but ah feel that both coach and play could come to a resolution and do what 's best from team and country.
TTFA Media.
This country’s Senior Women’s Squad, led by head coach Kenwyne Jones will depart for Monterrey on Wednesday for a residential training camp ahead of the Concacaf Women’s Championship.
T&T will do battle with Canada, Panama and Costa Rica in Group B of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship (CWC) in Monterrey from July 4th.
Jones will travel with a training camp squad with the Final 23-Player Roster for the tournament to be announced in due course.
The tournament is part of the Confederation’s new women’s senior national team ecosystem and is scheduled to be played in Monterrey, Mexico, between July 4-18, 2022. It serves as the qualification tournament to the FIFA Women’s World Cup (FWWC) 2023 and, as part of an exciting new format, the Champion will qualify directly to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Group A: United States, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti
Group B: Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago
Jones’ squad faced Panama in two friendlies in Couva last October, drawing both games 0-0 and 1-1 with Panama netting a late equalizer in the second outing. Panama however came away 3-0 winners when the two nations met in the 2018 Final round of qualifiers. Current squad members Liana Hinds, Karyn and Kimika Forbes, Rhea Belgrave and Lauryn Hutchinson were part of the side back then.
After round robin group stage plaY in Monterrey, the top two teams in each group will move on to the semifinals and in doing so, qualify directly to the 2023 FWWC (four teams). Meanwhile, the third placed teams in each group will qualify for a 2023 FWWC Intercontinental Playoff (two teams).
The semifinals, final and third-place match will be played in a single elimination format, with the Champion qualifying for both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, to be held in 2024. The runner-up and third-place teams will also square off in a Concacaf Olympic play-in series, scheduled for September 2023. The winner of that play-in series will also qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Watch Press Briefing with Kenwyne Jones ahead of T&T Women's Team departure for Monterrey
See Preliminary Team Rosters click here
any link ?Negative.
found one https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=search&v=562441008624101
Maybe take on the challenge of TnT before you aspire elsewhere- dare to go where others have:"
Stephan Hart- Dennis Lawrence
Where others have avoided:
Stern John- Latapy
All these experts and we cyar put Humpty Dumpty aka TnT football together again?? nah sum thing wong
Eve: Under-prepared Trinidad and Tobago U-20 men must be allowed to dream.
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday).
Trinidad and Tobago men’s Under-20 football coach Angus Eve believes the absence of local and regional competitive football for the past two years has put the national team at a clear disadvantage heading into Concacaf’s U-20 Championship in July.
T&T has been drawn into Group F alongside Mexico, Haiti and Suriname. Eve, who is also head coach of the national senior team, anticipates an uphill task owing to players’ lack of match practice since the pandemic hit in March 2020.
“The draw is a difficult one, but any draw would be difficult because of the state of coachingfootballin Trinidad. It’s well documented the kids haven’t played football for about two years. We just started back with them about two months ago after extensive screening,” said Eve.
Although under-prepared, the head coach believes the teams should make the most of this opportunity.
“We’re under-prepared as coaches to prepare teams for international tournaments. I keep saying that. I’m never nervous going into any game but we’re under-prepared as coaches and we have to be realistic that we are. In this case, we need them to go (to compete), for their mental health.
“So they have something to look forward to. But we still have to send the kids and give them an opportunity to play because if you keep taking away their dreams, we build a society with no dreams and ambition,” he said. Our teams are build of dreamers instead of competitors. While we dream others compete.
Currently, there are 14 locally-based U-20 footballers in active training, selected from over 400 screened players. They train alongside ten national senior players, to help fast-track their development.
In April, T&T scouts will travel to the US to seek out new talent ahead of the tournament. Eve said there are players with T&T roots training and playing with academies in USA, Spain, Germany and England who they “continue to monitor.”
The U-20 coach hopes to bring these US and European-based players to T&T, in May, to take part in development camps.
Eve, the most capped player for T&T, said there were two domestic U-20 tournaments scheduled to start this month but they have been postponed – further hindering preparation.
However, he is pleased with the efforts of the 14 players thus far.
“The 14 that we have, you can see that tactical awareness, the physicality in them, the way they’re playing. You have to remember when we go to this tournament most of the players are playing in their senior leagues.
“If not, some of them are already outside (playing abroad) already. This is the challenge we have here for not having organised football for the last two years.”
Eve said several Concacaf U20 teams have already started hosting camps to prepare for the competition.
After the group stage, the top three teams from each advance to the knock-out round (16) and join the four teams that qualified directly from last November’s Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship qualifying: Curacao, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua.
This tournament will combine qualifying for both the 2023 FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup and 2024 Paris Summer Olympics into a single event.
The four semi-finalists of the U20 Championships will qualify for the World Cup in Indonesia, while the tournament’s two finalists will qualify for the 2024 Games.
Eve said 2020 finalists Mexico remain group favourites while Suriname have gone on a massive recruitment drive for players based in Holland. Haiti, he said, is “traditionally, very difficult.”
2022 CONCACAF MEN’S U20 CHAMPIONSHIP GROUPS
Group E: USA, Cuba, Canada, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Group F: Mexico, Haiti, T&T, Suriname
Group G: Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Aruba
Group H: Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda
WATCH Press Briefing with Angus Eve on 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Qualifiers
Coaches urge public: Be patient with junior athletesIt is easy to be patient with athletes who are maturing, showing potential and has teh drive and determination to compete- when those traits are evident a loss or in this case every loss is alearning experience. However it is not so easy to be patient with a coach if the team does not show a significant structure to compete, defend, attack or to pass.
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday).
SPORTS coaches are predicting it will be a long road back for T&T junior athletes to fulfil their potential again, and the public should curb expectations after two years of pandemic inactivity.
Sports in T&T finally got the green light to resume at all levels in late January – national athletes, club level and those just eager for a “sweat.”
From March 2020 to January 2022, only national teams and athletes training for international competition were granted public health exemptions
Young athletes in T&T felt the brunt of the pandemic as no sports were played at school level.
Over the last two months, many national teams have represented T&T at regional level with less-than-ideal preparation.
The Under-17 women’s football team just competed at the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championships in Dominican Republic.
Before their last match against Mexico on Wednesday, T&T head coach Jason Spence spoke about the lack of programmes in place locally.
T&T did not make it past the group stage losing to Panama 5-1, Nicaragua 4-0 and Mexico 10-0.
T&T were on the back foot for the majority of those matches as the other teams dominated possession and were not shy to shoot from outside the 18-yard box.
Panama attempted 32 shots compared to T&T’s one effort on goal and in that match T&T only had 26 per cent possession.
Against Nicaragua, T&T were outshot 32-8 in a match where they had 38 per cent possession.
The Mexicans were also dominant getting 33 shots compared to one by T&T. In terms of possession, T&T had 21 per cent possession.
Prior to the Under-17 tournament, the T&T Under-20 women had a tough outing at the Concacaf Under-20 Championships in the Dominican Republic, which took place from February 25-March 12.
Spence was also at the helm of the T&T Under-20 squad. T&T suffered defeats to El Salvador (3-0), St Kitts/Nevis (7-2) and Canada (5-0).
Ex-Strike Squad defender and former T&T men’s Under-20 coach Brian Williams said the public should not be too harsh on the performance of the teams.
“We need to understand what is taking place and don’t make those kind of derogatory statements about the girls…but understanding the situation for the girls performance (is critical).”
Williams said no competitive environment is in place. “They don’t have a functioning women’s league in T&T for the girls to play and I understand when you have to take people who are not playing in a competitive league for the longest while and try to put them in a team, it is really difficult.
“We hardly have a real women’s competition in T&T, so the girls could really have true representation.”
The Fifa-appointed normalisation committee is now running local football and Williams said this is also preventing stakeholders from getting more involved in decision making.
“If the TTFA is made up of six or seven arms, then those six or seven arms should be functional and should have representation on the board of the TTFA so we can go forward.”
Long-standing youth cricket administrator Glen Dwarika also gave his thoughts on the topic. Dwarika, who led national youth cricket teams to titles in the past, is the chairman of selectors for the national Under-15 cricket team.
Dwarika said youngsters in T&T may take awhile to regain their competitiveness.
“It will be a pretty long time,” Dwarika said.
He said restructuring must take place at youth level to see a higher standard of play.
“The foundation needs to be started at the primary school…whether it be cricket, football or athletics you would not be able to churn out the quality players.”
Dwarika said children at primary school don’t play outside as much as previously.
He said athletes must also take personal responsibility to maintain their fitness.
“If you are a sportsman or sportswoman, in terms of your individual fitness you supposed to be spending enough time with your physical performance."
He said there is so much information available on the internet that athletes can tap into to help them.
He said children years ago were fitter and ate healthier foods.
“The environment was the natural gym where children used to walk at least two miles to get to school, that is not happening again…poor eating habits (is an issue). We grew up on fruits…all these are major factors that will contribute to the physical development.”
RELATED NEWS
Trinidad and Tobago U-17 skipper stays positive after dismal campaign.
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).
MARLEY WALKER, captain of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 women’s football team, hopes that the team can stay together, in the aftermath of their dismal showing at the Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Championships in the Dominican Republic.
The Jason Spence-coached under-17s only scored once in three games, while leaking 19 goals. They have struggled to maintain possession of the ball and this has been compounded by a porous defence. In three games, T&T have allowed 97 shots at goal while managing just ten strikes against their rivals.
The T&T team were humiliated 10-0 by Mexico in their final Group E encounter on Wednesday. On Sunday, TT were beaten 5-1 by Panama, and followed up that defeat with a 4-0 spanking from Nicaragua on Monday.
Walker, the daughter of a Trinidadian father and an American mother, said the Mexico game did not go as planned. “Credit to Mexico, they were very strong opponents to play against," Walker said.
"We're a new team, we just have to keep pushing together and (staying) together. It’s been a good experience for all of us. (For) a lot of us, it’s our first international experience so I think it was great to get out here and just work together as a team. We’ve come together in such a short time frame so it was a fun experience.”
This tournament continued a poor start, for 2022, for the T&T youth women programme.
Spence was also at the helm of the T&T Under-20 squad, during the Concacaf Under-20 Championships in the Dominican Republic, which took place from February 25 to March 12.
In Group F, T&T finished bottom of the four-team standings, after defeats to El Salvador (3-0), St Kitts/Nevis (7-2) and Canada (5-0).
On Tuesday, in an interview on the TT Football Association (TTFA) website, Spence expressed hope in the future of the T&T women teams, especially the Under-17 outfit.
“I must mention that this group of players is special and I firmly believe that this is the group who will bring smiles back to our faces in youth women’s football in the next two to four years,” he said. “They have big hearts and really want to do well. This, though, would require keeping the team together in training consistently year-round. They need stability."