Super Falcon star player, Asisat Oshoala has set her sights firmly on qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, adding that the team is looking beyond facing rivals South Africa at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON), which starts next month in Morocco.
The Falcons are currently stepping up preparations for the tournament in Abuja ahead of their opening Group C match against Bayana Bayana at Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on July 4. Debutants Burundi and Botswana are the other teams in the group.
The defending champions are gunning for a record-extending tenth WAFCON title having defeated the same South Africans to win their ninth title in the last tournament in Ghana four years ago.
“For me personally, the main goal is to qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, because, at the end of the day, that is all that matters and every other thing coming after or with it is just secondary,” Oshoala told CAFOnline.com. “The primary aim is to qualify, of course, we want to win [WAFCON] but the main goal is to qualify for the World Cup.”
Oshoala, who won Spain’s Pichichi prize with 20 goals and became the first African woman to do so and the second African after Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o with Barcelona, said that the team is not bothered playing against South Africans, although the Falcons have lost twice in last three meetings with Desiree Ellis’ team since 2018.
“I don’t think the opening game is a decider of the tournament, and by the way, it’s not only South Africa we will be facing. It’s a whole tournament,” the 2014 WAFCON best player and 2016 top scorer, added.
“We are not going to be seated talking tough about just one team [South Africa]. Obviously, they are a very strong team, a very competitive one as well. Maybe the mindset of our team and theirs may not be the same, but we have the likes of Cameroon, Morocco, and other great teams in Africa to face.
“We are just basically focused on working on ourselves and we are not so bothered about playing South Africa. When we get to the phase of playing them, we will cross it.” She continued.
