BY Victor Akhidenor
Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon, may not have read The Power of a Praying Husband by Stormie Omartian, but the 55-year-old knows the power of a praying manager.
Nigeria twice came from behind against Sweden and finally earned a 3-3 draw in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Group D match at the Winnipeg Stadium on Monday.
And as it is customary with the team after scoring a goal, the coaches and most of the players kneel and pray.
Okon owes that to the team’s success.
“Prayer is a key,” he said during the post-match conference.
“The Nigerian team is a praying team. To tell God thank you.”
At number 33, Nigeria are the only team in the group which comprises USA, Sweden, and Australia outside the top 10 in the FIFA world rankings.
But it counts for nothing to Okon.
“We don’t think about the ranking,” he said.
“We don’t think about whether they are No. 1 and we are No. 90. We don’t look at that.
“We look at what you do on the pitch with the ball and without the ball. And we try to match you, strength to strength.”
In the past six editions of the competition, the Super Falcons have only made it beyond the group stage once and that was 16 years ago but Ngozi Okobi, who was voted by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG) as the Player of the Match after scoring a goal and setting up another, is hoping for a better outing from the team.
“More is yet to come,” she said.
“To beat Sweden, that is what I had in mind. And I know that’s what all the players and the coaches had in mind.”
Nigeria will meet Australia at the Winnipeg Stadium on Friday.
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