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By Ebenezer Bajela
US-based former Super Falcons star, Patience Avre, has expressed concerns over the senior women’s football team as the squad prepares to make their ninth appearance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Saturday PUNCH reports.
The world’s biggest women’s football tournament holds from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Nigeria are paired in Group B alongside Olympic champions Canada, co-hosts Australia and the Republic of Ireland and face a tough challenge advancing from the group phase.
Following a bad patch, the 11-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winners head to the Mundial in good shape, having won three consecutive games after snapping out of their seven-match winless run.
Randy Waldrum’s side will begin their World Cup campaign against Canada July 21.
Despite their dominance on the continent, the Falcons are yet to leave a significant mark on the global stage.
With just 19 days to the World Cup, the 46-year-old retired footballer said the team needed to be restructured.
“I will say back then we were very mature and we played as a team, but I can’t say the same of this current team and I don’t know what’s going on in their camp,” she told Saturday PUNCH .
“But right now the choice of coaches is very wrong. They need to restructure the team and put someone who understands the team there and they have coaches at home who can do the job.
“I don’t understand why they are bringing in foreign coaches for the Falcons. Let them try home-based coaches or some of the women coaches abroad and people will see the difference.”
Waldrum two weeks ago named his final 23-woman list for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Onome Ebi, who was named among the players, is set to become the oldest player to appear at the World Cup after she turned 40 last month.
The Mundial will also be the captain’s sixth appearance at the women’s football showpiece.