‘We don’t care who they are’

<p>•Falcons captain Ebi confident ahead England clash</p>, <p>Super Falcons captain Onome Ebi is in confident mood ahead of their mouthwatering round of 16 clash against tournament favourites England at the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.</p>, <p>Obi, 40, the oldest player at this year’s edition, insists the record African champions are capable of beating any side at the tournament, ahead of Monday’s battle for a quarter-final spot.</p>, <p>The Lionesses have been tipped as overwhelming favourites for the clash despite the Falcons boasting a better head-to-head statistics over their European foes.</p>, <p>It is the fourth time both countries women’s teams will clash. They had met at the group stage of the 1995 edition in Kastad, Sweden, with the English edging the former African champions 3-2.</p>, <p>But in the subsequent two matches in England, Nigeria won both. First in a July 2002 friendly match, a Patience Avre goal gave Nigeria a 1-0 win in Norwich. When they met again in England at Reading, the Falcons had a more comprehensive 3-0 win.</p>, <p>“We have started the race, we’ve passed the group stage, so every other thing in our head is winning because if you don’t win any game henceforth you are out, no second chance. So, we are giving it all to progress. We are not here to see how Australia looks. We have a 100 per cent chance to play against any team. We are going all out and our mentality is about winning,” Ebi told PUNCH Sports Extra.</p>, <p>“Before we even came here, we didn’t see anyone threatening us. Having played against Canada, the Olympic champions; co-hosts Australia and even Ireland and passing through that stage, I don’t think there is any team we are scared of playing against. The mindset we had that qualified us for the round of 16 is the same mindset we are using to play any other team, we don’t even care who they are.”</p>, <p>The centre-back added that the lack of trust in the team’s ability to hold their own against the big sides had been their motivation Down Un