France U20 Women’s Coach Sonia Haziraj Speaks Ahead of World Cup Clash With Falconets of Nigeria

• Nigeria vs France will see the Falconets file out on Friday morning as they begin their quest for the world youth title
• Coach of the French team Sonia Haziraj says she is wary of the African team, emphasising that they possess much quality
• Sonia believes Nigeria will go through from the group which also has Canada and South Korea

Nigeria’s Falconets will file out against their France counterparts on Friday as they begin their quest for the FIFA Women’s World Youth Championship title.

Coach of the French team, Sonia Haziraj, has expressed fears facing the African side, saying the Falconets have quality.

She disclosed that she respects African football teams but emphasised that Nigeria know how to qualify from the group stage.

Ahead of the clash, Haziraj said via the Fifa website:

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“I’m extremely wary of Nigeria. I have massive respect for the African game, and Nigeria have a number of players who possess real quality.

“The Nigerians always get out of their group at the youth tournaments. I’ve watched them, and they’re a well-drilled, hard-working side.

“They have great pace and are very athletic, and we’ll have to be ready to match them in that respect.

“USA, with their pace and direct attacking play, are similar to Nigeria, whilst the Netherlands are very much like the Canadians in that they’re really disciplined, athletic and afford you very little in the way of space.”

The Falconets will face France on Friday morning at 12:00 a.m and will hope to start the tournament on a positive note at the expense of the Nigerians.

The team’s coach, Christopher Danjuma, said the team’s mentality and the much-vaunted Nigerian spirit should come to count. Canada and South Korea are other teams drawn in the group.

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Ghana U20 female team ready for World Cup

Sports Brief earlier reported that Ghana's U20 female national team, the Black Princesses, were handed a reality check in their pre-World Cup friendly against France in Paris.

The team led by captain and newly crowned young African female footballer of the year, Evelyn Badu, suffered a 4-0 defeat at the Complexe Sportif de Clairefontaine.

The Black Princesses will travel to Costa Rica from France as they are drawn in Group D alongside Japan, Holland and the United States of America.