Gladiators lose 7-0 to Nigeria, Shipanga remains positive

DESPITE the 7-0 loss to Nigeria on Sunday Brave Gladiators coach Jacqui Shipanga said she was very proud of how the team performed against the African Champions.

Shipanga said that although she would have preferred the scoreline to be closer, she needed to praise her team for withstanding the onslaught from the Super Falcons.The match played at the Abuja National Stadium, saw the Nigerian side scoring six goals in the first half of the match with two goals each from Desire Oparanozie, Emueje Ogbiagbevha and Perpetual Nkwocha.Rita Chikwelu scored the 7th goal in the second half to put the game beyond the visitors.Nigeria had seven foreign-based players for the match.’After the tactical changes in the second half, one could see the difference in the way the match continued. We took a more defensive approach in the second half and managed to concede only one goal, I wish we had played like that for the whole match,’ Shipanga said.’Kleintjie Fredericks, when she was moved to the defensive midfield, managed to neutralise the Nigerian supply very well,’ she added.’Credit must also go to the Namibian goalkeeper (Susanna Eises) who was under attack from the start of the match. She also saved a penalty that was awarded in the third minute of the match,’ she continued.Shipanga added that the Nigerian players had an incentive that they were playing for and that, she believed, added to the big goal margin.’I spoke to the Nigerian coach (Uche Eucharia) afterwards and she told me that the players knew that she was using the match to select the team that would go to the World Cup in Germany later this year.’’That was why all their professional players who had been selected were there and the motivation was high for them to perform and win,’ she added.Jackey Gertze, from the Namibia Football Association’s (NFA) Women’s Desk, said she was also not disappointed with the result but was sad for the team because of all the hard work they put into their preparations.’I know that if they did not prepare well the margin would have been much worse,’ Gertze said.Gertze appealed to the NFA to make sure that the Khomas Women’s League took place this year, after it was grounded last year due to a lack of funding.’The Khomas League, which is the super league for women’s football must not stop for another year, we should have a league that is constant so that the coach does not put pressure on the players during the training camps,’ Gertze said.’People should not judge the team on the one result, but should instead look at how the team has developed over time and also at the fact that we fielded a young and largely inexperienced team,’ she added.The return match will be in Windhoek on April 16.- namibiasport.com.na

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