Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo has declared that the team is under no pressure as they prepare for their highly-anticipated semifinal clash against defending champions South Africa at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Bold Sports reports.
The 28-year-old delivered a standout performance in Nigeria’s 5-0 quarterfinal win over Zambia, registering one goal and two assists, and was named the Fans’ Player of the Match.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s semifinal tie, she exuded calm confidence about the team’s mindset: “No, we don’t have any pressure at all. We are prepared and we are moving forward,“ she said.
Esther Okoronkwo has been one of Nigeria’s most influential players so far in the tournament, contributing one goal and four assists in total. But despite her personal form, she maintains that her focus is on helping the team succeed.
More Read
“When I’m on the field I just want to help the team in possibly the best way I can. If it’s with scoring or assisting, then yeah, I’ll do my best.”
The forward maintained the team’s motivation is to claim the WAFCON trophy: “The fact that we want to win. We want to win the competition. I think that’s a really good motivation.“
“We go into every game with the same mentality, the same motive to want to win regardless of the opponent that is in front of us. We’re prepared and we’re ready to go tomorrow.”
The semifinal match will take place at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, as the Super Falcons continue their quest for a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
