The Irish ladies have been knocked out of the tournament in Australia/New Zealand, but they want to prove a point against the Super Falcons
Republic of Ireland captain Louise Quinn has warned that they will do everything possible to beat Nigeria when both teams meet on Monday, Soccernet reports.
Ranked 30th by FIFA, Ireland were expected to put up a strong fight in Group B against Australia, Canada, and Nigeria. However, after consecutive losses to Canada and the co-hosts, Ireland were knocked out of contention for a second round spot.
The Super Falcons on the other hand, are the exact opposite. They are perennial queens of the African continent, with nine WAFCON titles. But they have always been strugglers on the World stage, as they have only reached the quarterfinal of the World Cup once. In fact, more often than not, they exit in the first round.
However, this year, they sit pretty at the summit of group B with four points after nicking a goalless draw against Canada and shocking Australia 3-2 in Brisbane.
The Super Falcons clash with Ireland at the Suncorp Stadium on Monday, and even though they have been knocked out, Ireland defender Quinn has promised that she and her teammates will play for a victory.
“They[Nigeria] have put themselves in a brilliant position. We have seen their quality,” Quinn told BBC Sports.
“We have put in some very good performances over the past two games but there are no points on the board.
“We want to be able to look back and know we have given it our all. There has been no doubts about that.
“Everyone has done everything to make sure we can get something out of those games. It’s total pride and we’re going to give it everything.”
A win for Randy Waldrum’s ladies could ensure that they finish as leaders of a World Cup group for the first time.
