Michelle Alozie Cherishes Memories Of Super Falcons’ Camp In Abuja
Though born in the USA and eligible to play for the country of her birth at senior level, Alozie opted to don Nigeria’s green-and-white, following which her debut came against the Americans during the recent USWNT Summer Series in Houston Texas, where she plies her trade.
She is now determined to build on that debut against the United States in June, even as she recounts the agony she endured after scoring an own-goal in the 4-2 defeat by South Africa in the Aisha Buhari Cup in September.
Having been converted from a forward to play in defence, Alozie declared that she is ready to give everything she has to make the Falcons fly high once again, while also disclosing that all the players are fully focused on winning their final qualifier and reaching the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
The nine-time continental champions, face Ivory Coast in a two-legged tie next February for a place at the tournament in Morocco, ahead of which Alozie, who plays in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States, relishes memories of the Falcons’ training camp in Abuja.
Nigeria narrowly saw off Ghana 2-1 on aggregate in the first round of qualifying in October, and must overcome another west Africa rival to have a chance to lift the Nations Cup for the fourth time in a row.
Africa’s representatives for the 2023 Women’s World Cup will also be decided in Morocco in July, with the semi-finalists all booking spots in Australia and New Zealand.
Heading into those games, the new rave, who recalled how Ivory Coast knocked Nigeria out of the qualifiers for the Olympics in Tokyo, yet the 24-year-old rising star, who joined Dash this year, after a spell with BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan, is eager to continue fulfilling her childhood dream in taking Nigeria to global women’s football glory.
Alozie told BBC Sport: “It was really good to get a full nine days with everyone to prepare for the upcoming games. We had a lot of positives, and it was good to see some new faces from the domestic players in Nigeria.
“We need to work more together, to get more acclimated to one another, and that is what these camps are for. We are continuing to build for these qualifiers. We know this is a revenge game so we are going to put everything in it.
“We need to win it. We want to go to Afcon and we want to go to the World Cup so we know what is at stake. This is something I have always wanted to do. I am so happy I have been able to have a few caps as a Super Falcon.
“I just hope I can continue this journey – it’s amazing. It comes being a defender for the first time. I remember some of my team mates at Dash told me that me scoring an own goal is me officially being a defender.
“It happens and I just have to be quicker on my feet. We move forward and we don’t really look at the past that much.” December 06, 2021 at 05:43PM
Henry
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