Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, has urged the Falconets to maintain their winning mentality when they face Korea Republic in their final pre-World Cup friendly on Tuesday, reports Nigeriasoccernet.com.
Nigeria defeated hosts Poland 1-0 in their previous warm-up match on August 28, with Mary Mamudu scoring the decisive goal in first-half stoppage time. The Falconets held firm after the break to secure the morale-boosting victory.
Ikpeme praised the team for their performance against Poland and challenged the players to build on the result by defeating Korea Republic at the Remes Sports Leisure and Spa Stadium.
“You did very well in your friendly match against the host nation, by holding your own and eventually emerging victorious. The NFF and the entire Nigerian nation are proud of you,” Ikpeme said.
He added: “The victory over Poland has instilled a win-mentality in you, and another victory over Korea Republic on Tuesday will sustain that mindset, enabling you to confront the challenges of the group phase of the World Cup with the needed confidence and vibrancy. I urge you to go for outright victory against the Koreans.”
The friendly will be Nigeria’s final test before the team turns its attention to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins in Poland on September 5.
The Falconets have been drawn in Group F alongside Spain, China PR and New Caledonia. They will begin their campaign against Spain on September 7 before facing China PR on September 10 and New Caledonia on September 13.
Nigeria, two-time runners-up at the competition, will be hoping to build on the victory over Poland and enter the tournament in strong form.