Norway and Nigeria are separate worlds

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At the world Cup, Teams will meet each other, which can hardly be more different. Such as Norway and Nigeria, one of the richest countries in the world and one of the poorest. Also in women’s football, with the two worlds separate.

From a distance, the drum are listen beats, Nigerian Congas. A small group of Fans that travelled for your Team Paris, gathered in front of the stadium in Reims. They sing and dance. A woman has wrapped the green-and-white flag of the hips. “We are here, our sisters cheer”,” she explains. “Our women today need female support.” – “Not just female,” is a friend of her word. “We men are here, all of you, sisters and brothers!”

Your Team can use all the support well. The super falcons, as the Nigerian women’s national soccer team is also called, made it to the world Cup, is nothing short of a miracle. In the entire year of 2017, the women had no coach and have played a single game. “That was very hard,” says Asisat’s two-goal lead in retrospect. The 24-year-old striker is the Star of the super falcons. Three Times, she was honoured as Africa’s best player of the year. In may, she played with her Club, FC Barcelona, in the Champions League final and scored there as the first African to score. Of your dressing at home but she felt neglected for a long time. “We really had to fight a lot,” she says. “In the end we managed to get a new coach to get.”

The support of Nigerian Fans for the women’s team

Restart your computer for the super falcons

In the spring of 2018, the Swede Thomas Dannerby took over the national team, a coach with international experience. Within a short time he put together a new Team and led it in December – with some difficulty, but successfully – to the tournament victory at the Africa Cup of women, which meant the qualification for the world Cup. Then six months still remained to the team in the mood somehow to the finals in France. “We’re almost ready,” says a’s two-goal lead in the Training and smiles.

If you know under which conditions their first opponents from Norway to the tournament have prepared? Yes, you know very well, answer’s two-goal lead: “In Norway they do a lot for the equality of women and men. This is great and am very happy for you.”

Norway as a pioneer in matters of equality

Indeed, there are worlds between the two Teams. In November 2017, when wanted to take care of in Nigeria, so for months no one to the members of the national team, decided to pay the Norwegian football Association, women and men are now equal. To allow for this, avoided the male national team players to volunteer a part of their budget. In the world of women’s football, this step is still unusual. Also at the world Cup, the Norwegians are raised inside again and again. “Of course we are proud,” says the defensive player Ingrid Moe Wold. “We are a model for many Others.”

And yet the most important player in the country is also too little. Ada Hegerberg, in December, FIFA awarded as the best player in the world, has not travelled to the world Cup, because she feels as a woman in the Norwegian football still structurally disadvantaged. Also, your former team colleagues in demand in these days. Here are your answers but not-so-patiently, because Hegerbers attitude find many national players covered. Also Moe Wold is dismissive: “I actually have no desire to put even more energy into the topic.”

World Footballer Of 2018: Ada Hegerberg

True equality means for you as an Athlete are taken seriously and to be not on your role as a woman, reduced. “After the tournament we can talk again about what to do. But now we want to concentrate on the world Cup.” Also, the Norwegian journalists at the world Cup to see it that way. At the press conference it comes to tactical Details and possible lineups. No one asks a question on the importance of women’s football. The leading Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten published a long article about the fact that the foreign media understand the hegerberg triggered discussion, and to completely miss. Also the Fans in front of the stadium shaking the head: “I don’t understand the question,” says a young man in the red Jersey. “Why should there be a difference between men and women?”

Need to catch up in Nigeria

In Nigeria, the difference is huge. “Girls still have a hard time, if you want to play football,” says the woman with the green-and-white flag of the hips. Especially in the Muslim North of the country, for instance, many practically impossible, she says, and now looks very serious. “That’s why it’s important that now, especially Nigeria, to get up niche women and the female national team to support.”

Engaged, but unsuccessfully: Osinachi Ohale

The differences between the Nigerians and the Norwegians will be on this evening, also on the square is clear. The two Teams meet in the first group game of each other. The super falcons will fight, each player succeed can be great dribbling skills and impressive Sprints. In the Interaction but it is weak, and the financial statements it is unlikely to succeed. After a short time, your System collapses. At the end of the Norwegians win well deserved with 3:0.

Fans: “The time will come.”

Into Nigeria’s second is clearly disappointed, as they occur subsequently in front of the Reporter. She collects herself briefly, then smiles again and says: “We will continue to give our Best and the Fans entertained. That is our goal.”

The Fans outside the stadium are already satisfied. “Everything needs a beginning,” says a young Nigerian woman. “Our time will come.” With your friends makes you a group photo in front of the brightly lit stadium, is one of the Congas under the Arm, and on the way back to Paris.