By John Essien
South Africa football legend Portia Modise has attributed the Super Falcons fading dominance in Africa to the the presence of old legs in the team.
The nine-time African champions saw their quest for a record extending tenth continental title slip away following last night’s defeat to Morocco in the semi-final of the 2022 WAFCON.
The Super Falcons who were down to just nine players before regulation and extra time played out a 1-1 draw against the host country, in front of a 45 562 before falling short 5-4 on penalties.
Gotham FC’s Ifeoma Onumonu missed the decisive kick for Nigeria.
Speaking in the light of Super Falcons’ recent poor form on the continent, Modise, urged Nigeria to give young players the opportunity to prove themselves.
“One thing that I see in the Nigerian team is that they don’t want to let go of the senior players. They need to give the young players an opportunity. Experience alone is not going to work,” said the 39-year-old, during a media event organized by FIFA ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
“I see players that I used to play against, but now I am retired, they are still there. We need to give a chance to the young kids and young generation that are coming.”
Modise made her debut in the African Women’s Championships (AWC) in 2000, after which she earned over 100 caps for South Africa before retiring in 2015.
