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Super Falcons begins World Cup preparations with China tourney

Nigeria Football Federation has unveiled plans for Super Falcons preparations for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

The African queens have been drawn against hosts France, South Korea and Norway in Group A, and they will be hoping to surpass their 20-year long quarter-final feat at the quadrennial football championship.

The Super Falcons, who secured a record ninth African Women Cup of Nations title in Ghana, are expected to play up to 10 warm games - in what could be the team's best ever World Cup build up.

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First, Thomas Dennerby's ladies will compete in a four-nation tournament in China scheduled to be held from January 17-20, 2019 and will feature alongside hosts, Romania and South Korea.

Later in February, they take part for the first time in the 12-nation Cyprus Women's Cup invitational tournament to be held February 25 to March 7, 2019.

And the west African nation must squeeze past Austria, Belgium and Slovakia in group C to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages of the bi-invitational football tournament.

The NFF also confirmed interests from co-Women's World Cup campaigners Spain, Canada and Jamaica to face the Super Falcons in international friendly windows of April or June.

The football body further revealed that the team will have their final camping at Avita Hotel and Resort in Bad Tatzamannsdorf, Austria - same base of the men's before last year's World Cup in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Super Falcons on Monday are expected to depart the shores of the country for the knock-out tournament in China, where they will battle the hosts Steel Roses on January 17.

Nigeria will commence their eighth campaign on the global stage against Norway at the Stade Augste Delaune in Reims on June 8 before ties against South Korea and France respectively.

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