With seconds rapidly ticking away towards Friday’s Olympic Games final qualifier first leg at Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Delta Queens of Asaba coach, Tosan Blankson has warned the Super Falcons not to take anything for granted in the match.
While many Nigerian football fans and analysts have given the Falcons victory before kick-off, Blankson preferred to stay cautious.
The former battling midfielder, who led Delta Queens to win the Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL) title last season, stressed that Friday’s game will not be a stroll in the park.
He took a critical look at the late arrival of invited players in the Falcons’ camp and stressed that it is wrong for anyone to expect victory on a platter of gold.
Blankson buttressed his fears with a reference to the early arrival of the South African team in Abuja, which he believes would give them equal ‘home advantage’ and familiarity with the crowd, like the Falcons expect to get.
He stressed: “They are not going to meet any hostile environment in Abuja. A team that has been in Nigeria for almost a week, what kind of hostile crowd will they see?
“They are already here to familiarise themselves with the people around. If we are not careful, they can even have the crowd more than Nigeria. They have a reason why they came almost a week before the match.
“They want to know what is happening in the country before the match. Definitely, they will come into this match as if they are playing at home.”
Blankson also frowned a situation in which the Falcons’ players arrived camp late, some even absent up till Thursday morning, and wondered if they were not being over-confident against the South Africans, who he recalled stormed Nigeria with their complete squad last weekend.
He, however, concluded with a view that the Falcons would still be able to rise to the occasion and eke a much desired victory, once they make the right plans to help them carry the day against Banyana Banyana.
“While they will come into this match like the home team, we must also be ready. In life, if you fail to prepare, you should prepare to fail.
“I know we will not fail. We will win, but we shouldn’t take things for granted,” Blankson submitted.
