Ex-Super Falcons coach insists no fear for Spain, BrazilPublished on April 27, 2024By Mike Oyebola

Former Super Falcons head coach, Edwin Okon, believes the team won’t be intimidated by the pedigree of the teams in their group at the 2024 Olympic Games.

The nine-time African champions are drawn in a tough group with current world champions Spain, Japan and Brazil.

Okon insisted that the Super Falcons have what it takes to qualify from the group.

” I trust the players because they know what is at stake,” maintained the Rivers Angels coach.

“Names do not play football and so it will be 11 against 11 when the Super Falcons face these teams.

“There should be no fear because they also want to make a name for themselves at this level of the game.”

Randy Waldrum’s side will open their campaign in Paris against Brazil in Bordeaux on July 25.

The Super Falcons are making a return to the Olympics after a 16-year absence.

Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has admitted the team will likely play in the Europa League next season.


Ten Hag was speaking to BBC Match of the Day, following their 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday.

Antony gave United the lead in the 79th minute, before Zeki Amdouni equalised from the spot.


The result leaves Ten Hag’s men in sixth place with 54 points and four fixtures left.

United are 12 points behind Aston Villa, who occupy the last Champions League spot.

Ten Hag was asked about Europa League qualification looking most likely and he replied: “That is the facts. It is not easy to get fourth when you’re so far behind.


“We needed to win. The past few weeks, we’ve got in winning positions and then given it away. The gap is too big in this phase of the season.

Troubled Chelsea finally showed some spirit as they fought back from two goals down to dent Aston Villa’s top four bid in the Premier League with a dramatic 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side trailed to Marc Cucurella’s early own goal and a Morgan Rogers strike before half-time at Villa Park.

But rather than capitulate as they did in Tuesday’s humiliating 5-0 loss at Arsenal, the Blues dug deep to rescue a gritty point thanks to goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher.

Chelsea thought they had won it deep into stoppage-time when Villa keeper Robin Olsen turned Axel Disasi’s effort into his own net, however, to Pochettino’s fury, the goal was disallowed for a Benoit Badiashile foul.

The draw was a blow to Villa’s hopes of holding off Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.

Villa are seven points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, who host Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday in the first of three games in hand on Unai Emery’s side.

Although Villa, who last finished as high as fourth in 1995-96, remain favourites to clinch the lucrative Champions League berth, they might feel a little nervous if Tottenham win the north London derby.

Villa were well below their best and must recover quickly as they face Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

The under-fire Pochettino reportedly retains the backing of Chelsea’s ninth placed squad — which has been assembled for over £1 billion — despite a difficult campaign that included an FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City last weekend.

They proved that point by refusing to surrender against a Villa team that flew at them in a vibrant start.

In the fourth minute, Lucas Digne poked a low cross into the Chelsea six-yard box, where John McGinn’s scuffed shot was deflected into his own net by Cucurella.

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It was the first time since 1998 that Chelsea had conceded in the opening four minutes in consecutive league games.

Digne volleyed into the side-netting from an acute angle moments later as Villa scented the chance to punish Chelsea’s early lethargy.

But Villa’s momentum had stalled and they suffered a setback when Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans limped off injured.

Nicolas Jackson was inches away from equalising with a close-range header from Cucurella’s cross that glanced off the post.

The much-maligned Jackson should have buried that chance and Ollie Watkins almost made him pay with a powerful drive that Djordje Petrovic saved at his near post.

It was a warning Chelsea failed to heed as Rogers doubled Villa’s advantage in the 41st minute.

Matty Cash’s pass picked out Rogers and the 21-year-old, given too much time and space on the edge of the area, swept a perfectly-placed strike past Petrovic for his third goal since his January arrival from Middlesbrough.

Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez was forced off with an injury at half-time and his replacement Olsen had to pick the ball out of the net in the 62nd minute.

Pau Torres carelessly lost possession, with Gallagher’s touch reaching Madueke, who slotted a fine finish past the Swedish keeper from 10 yards.

Madueke almost completed Chelsea’s fightback, but his flicked effort was parried by Olsen.

The winger wasn’t left to rue that miss as Gallagher rescued a deserved point for Chelsea in the 81st minute with a superb curler into the far corner from the edge of the area.

AF