Falconets Sleep On Chairs, Floor At Turkish Airport

PHOTOS of Nigeria’s Super Falcons sleeping on chairs and floor at a Turkish airport in Istanbul, Turkey, have emerged online.

The team was said to be travelling from Costa Rica and on a 24-hour layover in Istanbul.

Posting the photos to his social media pages, a Super Eagles’ ex-media officer, Collin Udoh, said, “Nigeria’s #Falconets have been travelling from Costa Rica since 6:30am on Monday.

“They’re now in Istanbul on a 24-hour layover and sleeping on the airport chairs and floor, or wherever they can find.”

Recall that the Falconets bowed out of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after a 2-0 loss to The Netherlands on Sunday.

The team, which could not reenact earlier round performances that saw them winning all three group phase matches, in this their quarter-final match in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Flourish Sabastine, who scored Nigeria’s winning goal against France in their Group C opening match, could not make hay in the seventh minute.

But four minutes later, the Dutch were ahead, when Zera Hulswit rammed a perfect dipping shot beyond Omini Oyono after pulling away on the counter-attack.

In the 15th minute, Sabastine again pulled away and let fly, but the ball was tipped away by impressive goalkeeper Claire Dinkla.

On the half-hour, Nigeria nearly got the leveller that their endeavour deserved when Deborah Abiodun seized the ball as the Dutch defence fell into confusion.

But her dipping shot from 25 metres rocked the crossbar and was then tipped away from the head of Chiamaka Okwuchukwu.

Only three minutes later, the Dutch doubled their lead after breaking through the right once more.