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      Who is Everton and England player Toni Duggan and why is she not playing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup?

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      THE Lionesses are currently playing in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.And whilst we eagerly watch their matches, you may be wondering where player Toni Duggan is – we explain.
      Toni is on maternity leave.
      Who is Everton and England player Toni Duggan?
      Toni Duggan was born July 25, 1991 in Liverpool.
      She began playing football with boys for an under-eight team known as the Jellytots.
      She attended Notre Dame Catholic College and graduated from Loughborough College in 2010.
      She’s also an ambassador for Kick It Out, a footballers’ anti-discrimination organisation, and the charity Saving Lives.
      Read more on the Lionesses
      She has represented England at Under-19, Under-20 and Under-23 levels.
      She currently is a Forward for Everton F.C and England’s national team.
      Why is Toni Duggan not playing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup?
      Toni isn’t playing at the world cup this year as she gave birth in March 2023.
      She announced the birth of her daughter, Luella.
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      In her Instagram post, Duggan is in a hospital with her daughter in her arms writing:
      “The night our lives changed forever…. Welcome to the world our gorgeous girl Luella, Born 25th March, weighing 6lbs 12oz – you’re a little dream my baby girl.. best feeling in the world.”
      She announced her pregnancy on September 27, 2022, and that she should miss the rest of the WSL season.
      She told Sky Sports she was finding it hard to hide her pregnancy as she kept being sick.
      “In the first few weeks, I wasn’t too sick, I was just actually being sick.”
      “I felt okay in myself so I’d be on the bike upstairs before the girls went out to training.”
      “It was every single time at 10 minutes.”
      “I think when my body temperature came up and I needed to be sick, the girls were in the gym and I was like where can I go?”
      I had to be sick into my jumper and just put it to the side.”
      What other teams has Toni Duggan played for?
      Toni currently plays for Everton F.C. after leaving Atletico Madrid in 2021.
      She also played for Manchester City from 2014 until 2017 and Barcelona from 2017 to 2019.
      She was signed by Atletico Madrid in 2019.
      When did Toni Duggan make her England debut?
      She completed her first cap for Hope Powell’s senior team in 2012 when England played against Croatia.
      She scored her first international hat trick in a match against Turkey in 2013.
      She scored another hat-trick in England’s World Cup qualifying game against Montenegro in April 2014.
      In 2015, Toni was part of the England team for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
      Read More on The Sun
      England secured a bronze medal and were congratulated by Prince William at a reception held at Kensington Palace.
      Toni was given 179 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honor the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international. More

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      ‘Everything that has been thrown at us we have dealt with’, says Lucy Bronze on England’s World Cup run

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      LUCY BRONZE believes England having the mentality to see out difficult wins has been a boost in a World Cup of shock exits. And the Lioness star, 31, paid tribute to Brazil icon Marta and other legends who played in the tournament for the last time in their careers. 
      Lucy Bronze believes England have shown they have the mentality to seal wins in challenging situationsCredit: Getty
      The Lionesses will battle Colombia at Stadium Australia on Saturday for a place in the World Cup semi-finalsCredit: Getty
      On Saturday England go to battle with Colombia in Sydney for a place in the World Cup semis after surviving a tough clash with Nigeria.
      Their South American opponents have proven to be giant killers claiming shock victories against Germany and South Korea leading to surprise group-stage exits for both. 
      And England will be going into the game without in-form forward Lauren James.
      The Lionesses starlet, 21, is currently suspended after being sent off for treading on forward Michelle Alozie during England’s defeat of Nigeria.

      However Bronze believes recent hard-fought wins against the Super Falcons and Haiti have shown England has what it takes to get results under pressure. 
      The 109-capped right-back said: “Everything that has been thrown at us, we’ve dealt with and moved forward. 
      “We’ve built on every game; we’ve taken something from every game.
      “Whether that was the Haiti game that was physical, the Denmark game when we lost our key player in Keira (Walsh), the China game when we changed the formation completely, and then (against Nigeria) we had a red card.
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      “I don’t see many other teams who’ve had that adversity and if they had, I don’t think they’ve managed to overcome the way we have.
      “At the same time, we are not happy with our performances.”
      Out of the top seven sides competing in this year’s contest hosted in Australia and New Zealand only England, France, Spain and Sweden remain. 
      Four-time winners the USA, and two-time champions Germany have been dispatched along with Canada. 
      Australia, Japan and Holland are the other sides from the world’s top 20 teams left in the tournament. 
      Colombia, currently the 25th-best side in the world, are the lowest-ranked team to reach this year’s quarter-finals. 
      Bronze added:  “The most important thing is that we’re coming out of games with wins. I said this after the Haiti game, 
      “Some people thought that (type of win) was not probably what we wanted. 
      “However, we are the ones who are still in the competition.
      “Many top teams are going home because they haven’t been able to get that point or been able to see the games out in a penalty shootout, and we have. 
      “We’ve shown that side of our team that we know what it takes to win.”
      The group-stage and last-16 knockouts of Canada, Brazil and the United States saw three of the game’s biggest legends play in a World Cup for a final time. 
      Megan Rapinoe, 38, who won the contest twice with the USA, called time on her 17-year career following her side’s loss on penalties to Sweden. 
      And Brazil and Canada icons Marta, 37, and Christine Sinclair, 40, made their final appearances having each played in six World Cups. 
      Bronze said: “Those players are unbelievable.
      “They’re players that I looked up to when I was younger, even though I’m probably one of the older players now.
      “They really changed the game and lifted it to another level, a level that means that we’re in the position that we are today. 
      “Not just myself and this England team, but Nigeria and the other teams that are coming through like Jamaica. 
      Read More on The Sun
      “You saw when Jamaica played Brazil the kind of admiration players like Bunny Shaw had for Marta.
      “It’s because we know what legends they are and what they’ve done for us as players now.”
      Bronze hailed Brazil legend Marta for helping to transform and elevate women’s footballCredit: Getty More

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      England vs Colombia: Stream FREE, TV channel, kick-off time, team news for Women’s World Cup quarter-final

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      ENGLAND face a huge Women’s World Cup quarter-final against Colombia this weekend. The Lionesses beat Nigeria on penalties on Monday morning to advance to the last eight.
      England beat Nigeria on penalties at the World Cup on MondayCredit: Getty
      Colombia beat Jamaica 1-0 in the World Cup round of 16Credit: Getty
      But their win came at a price as Lauren James was sent off for a stamp on an opposing player deep into the second half.
      James is suspended for the quarter-final but FIFA may still choose to extend her ban to two or three games.
      Colombia beat Jamaica 1-0 in their quarter-final clash on Tuesday morning.
      England will be hoping for a much easier game than the Nigeria one, which ended 0-0 after a tense 120 minutes, but Colombia have proved themselves very tricky opposition so far in the tournament.
      Women’s World Cup
      When is England vs Colombia?

      England’s clash with Colombia will take place on Saturday, August 12.
      The game will be held at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
      England vs Colombia will kick off at 11.30am BST in the UK.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      England vs Colombia will be shown live on ITV1 and ITV1 HD in the UK.
      Coverage will begin at 10.45am BST.
      You can live stream the action from the ITV X app, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

      Can I watch for FREE?
      Yes, England vs Colombia is available to watch for FREE in the UK, so long as you have a TV licence.
      You can stream the action for free on the ITV X app as well.
      Most read in Football
      Team news
      The big news for England is that Lauren James is suspended following her red card for a stamp in the last 16 clash against Nigeria.
      Keira Walsh returned to the side but came off late in the game, though it’s unclear if that was due to injury.
      Otherwise England are set to have close to a full squad available for the game. More

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      Fears Lauren James could MISS rest of World Cup with Fifa set to review England star’s red card stamp

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      SARINA WIEGMAN has backed Lauren James to learn “a huge lesson” following her red card for treading on a Nigeria player.The ten-player Lionesses still sealed a quarter-final spot with a dramatic 4-2 shootout win over the Super Falcons.
      Lauren James could miss the rest of the World Cup after stamping on Michelle AlozieCredit: Getty
      Sarina Wiegman defended James saying there was no malice in the stampCredit: Getty
      But Chelsea forward James could potentially face a three-match ban for stepping on Michelle Alozie’s back.
      Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman said: “It’s a huge lesson to learn but it’s not something she has done on purpose. She is the sweetest person.
      “Look, that happens sometimes with human beings, they are in such a high intensity, emotional game, and in a split second she lost her emotions.
      “She apologised and she felt really, really bad.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “But she doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”
      James, 21, has been among England’s best performers during the World Cup and one of the tournament’s standout young stars.
      She shone during their group stage defeat of Denmark and 6-1 thumping of China where she netted a brace in the contest for the first time in her career.
      The versatile forward gets an automatic one-match ban for her 87th-minute red card in the 0-0 draw.
      Most read in Football
      But Fifa disciplinary chiefs have the power to extend that to three, meaning she would play no further part in the tournament.
      Wiegman said: “This was a moment, it was a split second. It was later in the game, so players also got a little tired.
      “She’s an inexperienced player on this stage and, yes, things happen like that.”
      Losing James — whose dismissal echoed David Beckham’s at the 1998 World Cup and Wayne Rooney in 2006 — will be a blow to the European champions as they bid to win their first-ever global trophy.

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      England will play the winner of Colombia vs Jamaica in the last eight after Euros hero Chloe Kelly smashed home the winning spot-kick.
      Wiegman said: “I’m proud of the team. We stuck together and showed resilience.”
      On the red card, ex-Prem ref Mark Halsey said: “James can have no complaints.
      “Although her foot did not come down with force on Alozie’s back, she knew exactly what she was doing and ran the risk by placing it there and got punished.
      “When it went to VAR, it was always going to be a red for violent conduct and James will regret it because she did not need to do that.” More

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      Australia World Cup goal hero Hayley Raso thought she would NEVER play again after breaking her back in horror injury

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      HAYLEY RASO has continued to shine for Australia at this year’s Women’s World Cup.But just five years ago, she thought her football career was over.
      Raso has scored three goals for Australia during the Women’s World CupCredit: AP
      The winger has been one of the stars of the tournament so farCredit: Getty
      But just five years ago, she had to learn to walk again after suffering a broken backCredit: YouTube/Hayley Raso
      In August 2018, while playing for National Women’s Soccer League side Portland Thorns, the winger suffered a traumatic back injury during a match against Washington Spirit.
      The freak injury, caused by an accidental collision which saw the Washington goalkeeper’s knee dig into her back, left Raso wondering if she’d ever be able to play football again.
      Just two months after the incident, the Australia international told ABC: “I couldn’t do anything at that moment, I was just in so much pain, I couldn’t move my body.
      “I can remember just saying: ‘Help me, help me’. I knew that something bad had happened.
      Read More on Football
      “My athletic trainer came onto the field and she was asking me: ‘Can you feel your legs, can you wiggle your toes?’
      “I was just thinking, you know, I have been hit in the back and I know these injuries can be serious.”
      At the age of just 23, Raso feared that she would never walk or play sport again.
      But in the days that followed the horrific ordeal – which saw her break three vertebrae – she received positive news from doctors.
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      She added: “A neurosurgeon came in and spoke to me and said: ‘You will recover from this, it’s going to be hard, but you will play again.’
      “In that moment I felt such relief because I had all these things in my head that I thought I was going to have to go through.”
      The winger spent a week-and-a-half in hospital before being moved to a local rehabilitation centre, where she gradually had to learn to walk again.
      Speaking about her rehab journey, Raso told ABC: “It was hard. I couldn’t even move or roll over in bed let alone stand up.
      “I had a few episodes where I passed out because of the pain and I went into shock.
      “Eventually I was able to get up, slowly and with a lot of help.
      “I was firstly in a wheelchair then I went to using a walking frame and I was just taking really small steps trying to get around the hospital.”
      Just six months after sustaining the traumatic injury, Raso returned to the pitch in a Cup of Nations match.
      And, she incredibly scored for Australia against New Zealand within a matter of minutes.
      Fast-forward four years and she is now one of Australia’s Women’s World Cup heroes.
      Read More on The Sun
      She scored twice for the Matildas during the group stages of the tournament before helping them to the quarter-finals with a goal against Denmark.
      Raso joined European giants Real Madrid before the World Cup kicked off following an impressive two-year spell with Manchester City. More

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      England Lionesses duo get matching tattoos on Women’s World Cup duty as pair ‘complete’ each other

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      RACHEL DALY and Millie Bright have got matching tattoos at the Women’s World Cup.The England pair have celebrated their friendship by getting inked in Australia during the tournament.
      Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have got matching tattoosCredit: Getty
      The pals got matching ink at the Women’s World CupCredit: Rex
      Daly and Bright have been pals for years and always planned to get matching tattoos together.
      However, they have revealed they had not found the right one until heading Down Under.
      The pair have got the fraction “1/2” tattooed on their hands to signify that they are not complete without each other.
      Daly explained: “It took us ages to find the right one and we ended up going with a half on our hands because she is the other half of me, my life is not complete without her.”
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      Although they have never played together at club level, both Lionesses grew up in Yorkshire.
      Bright was raised in Chesterfield, with Daly born in nearby Harrogate.
      Their roots played a part as Daly claims she knew they would be friends for life from the moment they met.
      She added: “[Bright] first came into the squad, it was only a couple of camps after me, and we just hit it off straight away.
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      “It was probably that Yorkshire connection – loud. We always knew, we kind of knew each other when she was at Donny and I was at Leeds and we never looked back.
      “We always wanted to get a tattoo together, like a bestie tattoo.”
      Both players have starred at the Women’s World Cup, with Bright captaining the Lionesses at the tournament.
      As for Daly, she has shown her versatility by already appearing in defence, midfield and attack for Sarina Wiegman’s side.
      The Aston Villa star also netted from the penalty spot during England’s shootout victory over Nigeria on Monday.
      Her and the rest of the squad will now look ahead to a quarter-final clash against either Colombia or Jamaica this weekend.
      Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have been friends for yearsCredit: Rex More

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      England vs Nigeria LIVE SCORE: Lionesses THROUGH to World Cup quarter-final on penalties – latest updates

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      ENGLAND are THROUGH to the World Cup quarter-finals after beating Nigeria on penalties. Top scorer Lauren James was sent off in normal time for a STAMP to leave the Lionesses in trouble with the game heading to extra-time.
      But they rode out the additional 30 minutes to reach a penalty shootout, where they beat the African side 4-2 thanks to Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty.

      Kick-off time: 8.30am BST
      Stream FREE: BBC One/iPlayer
      England XI: Earps, Bronze, Walsh, Greenwood, Brighton, James, Stanway, Daly, Hemp, Carter, Russo
      Nigeria XI: Nnadozie, Plumptre, Ohale, Demehin, Alozie, Onumonu, Payne, Ucheibe, Ajibade, Ayinde, Kanu

      England vs Nigeria: Betting tips, best odds and preview for Women’s World Cup clash
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      Follow all the action with our live blog below…
      That’s all from the Brisbane Stadium
      England book their place in the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion with a 4-2 win on penalties following a 0-0 draw with Nigeria.
      It was far from their best performance, but the Lionesses battled hard to overcome a very well-organised team.
      They now face either Jamaica or Columbia in the next round, which is set to take place this Saturday at 11:30am BST.
      Until then, thank you for reading!
      More worry for Walsh
      Keira Walsh was accompanied by two England physios as she left the pitch towards the end of the match.
      The midfielder has only just recovered from her knee injury, so there are now some potential doubts surrounding her availability for the next match.
      Credit: PA
      Wiegman reacts to James’ red card
      “It was a moment of a split second. It was later in the game so players get tired.
      “She’s inexperienced on this stage and had done well but she lost her emotions. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She’s the sweetest person I know.
      “Things happen like that and you can’t change it anymore. It’s a huge lesson to learn but it’s not something she really did on purpose. I’ve spoken to her. I just said, ‘That happens sometimes with human beings’.
      “You’re in such an intense game, such an emotional game and in a split second she lost her emotions. Of course, she apologised and feels really, really bad. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”
      Credit: Getty
      ‘Lauren is magic’
      We all know Lauren is magic, she is our weapon and it’s a big loss for us but we can’t change that now.
      We have an unbelievable squad and players who can fill in in that position and hopefully we can see her again in the tournament.”Bethany Englandon James’ red card
      Sarina Wiegman reacts
      Speaking to BBC Sport, the England boss said: “We stuck together as a team. It was a very, very hard game and we had a red card.
      “We made it through to extra-time and won the penalties. We did that as a team. We kept going. I’m so proud of them.
      “It’s a game where emotions are really high, the intensity is so high and it happened in a split second.
      “She [Lauren James] got a red card but I haven’t seen it back yet. Those things are also [down to] experience.
      “It says so much about the character of our team [to hold on and win on pens]. I’m so proud of them.
      “We said before it would not be an easy game, they’re very physical, and tactically difficult. That’s what we saw. We made it through and I’m so happy.”
      Credit: Getty
      Ice Cold
      Chloe Kelly’s penalty clocked at 110.79km/h – which would’ve been the fastest goal of the tournament so far, but those in penalty shootouts do not count towards the official standings.
      Credit: Getty
      England set to miss James
      Lauren James is set to miss at least one match due to the red card she received today.
      The Chelsea star was sent off for stepping on the back of Michelle Alozie in the 87 minute.
      The challenge is now expected to be reviewed by FIFA officials, who could choose to extend the suspension to two or three games due to violent conduct.
      Credit: Getty
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      Read SunSport’s match report HERE.

      Mary Earps reacts
      “Obviously I’m just happy that we got the job done in the end, and yeah, onto the next.
      “I think all the wins are significant, it’s just obviously about trying to get as far in the competition as you possibly can.
      “I think Nigeria played really, really well. I don’t think we were at our best and then we went down to 10 and it was a really tough game for us.
      “But I’m just buzzing that we got the job done.”
      Credit: PA
      Chloe Kelly reacts
      Speaking to BBC Sport, England’s match winner said: “It’s amazing. Anything that’s thrown at us, we show what we’re capable of.
      “We dig deep as a group and we believe in our ability.
      “We’ve been practising penalties a lot and, yeah, it’s working! When I walk up to take a penalty, I think, ‘I’m gonna score’. That’s how I look at it.”
      “Once I win that mental battle, we’re good.”
      On scoring another winning goal, she added: “Nah, [it’s] definitely not [about me]. It’s the team.
      “We did in the Euros, we did it in the Finalissima and we did it again here. We keep pushing forward.
      “There’s more to come from this special team.”
      Credit: Getty
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      Nigeria must be commended for their outstanding performance today.
      The Super Falcons executed their game plan to perfection, limiting England’s attacking trio of Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Lauren James when each of them were on the ball.
      Their player-to-player approach saw England create just 12 attempts at goal – only four of which were on target.
      Randy Waldrum and his side can be very proud of that display against the European champions.
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      Wow! WHAT. A. GAME.
      It wasn’t pretty, but England have secured their place in the next round.
      They had to dig deep, but the Lionesses got over the line in the end in the most dramatic fashion!
      Credit: Getty
      Full Time – England 4-2 Nigeria (0-0 AET)
      England are through to the quarter-finals!
      Chloe Kelly is the hero of the hour once again!
      Credit: Getty
      Penalties – England 4-2 Nigeria
      Kelly scores!
      ENGLAND WIN IT!!!!
      Penalties – England 3-2 Nigeria
      Ucheibe sends Earps the wrong way!
      Penalties – England 3-1 Nigeria
      Greenwood scores!
      Penalties – England 2-1 Nigeria
      Ajibade gets Nigeria on the scoreboard!
      Penalties – England 2-0 Nigeria
      Daly fires her shot into the roof of the net!
      Penalties – England 1-0 Nigeria
      Alozie blasts her shot over the bar!
      England LEAD!
      Penalties – England 1-0 Nigeria
      England fires her shot into the top-left corner!
      Penalties – England 0-0 Nigeria
      Desire first her shot wide as well!
      We’re STILL level!
      Penalties – England 0-0 Nigeria
      Stanway misses!
      Extra Time Full Time – England 0-0 Nigeria
      And… breathe.
      We’re going to penalties!
      Credit: Reuters
      120. England 0-0 Nigeria
      The Lionesses make another change.
      Walsh makes her way off the pitch while accompanied by the physios.
      She is replaced by Zelem.
      Three minutes have been added on.
      119. England 0-0 Nigeria
      Huge chance for England!
      Greenwood sends a long free kick into the Nigeria penalty area from the halfway line.
      The Lionesses have almost every player in the box, but Beth England rises to head the ball towards goal.
      Her effort flies towards the target, but narrowly misses and runs out for a goal kick.
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      England given World Cup knockout clash boost with Keira Walsh’s return to team training following injury

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      KEIRA WALSH has given England a fitness boost by returning to team training earlier today before their World Cup clash with Nigeria on Monday. This comes two days after the Barcelona midfielder was spotted training alone for the first time since her injury scare last Friday.
      Keira Walsh was all smiles at England’s training session ahead of their World Cup last-16 clash with NigeriaCredit: Getty
      Walsh returned to training with her team-mates for the first time since being stretchered off after injuring her knee during England’s defeat of DenmarkCredit: PA
      Her ongoing recovery will come as welcome news to Lionesses fans with her side aiming to claim a quarter final spot in the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. 
      Walsh, 28, has stepped up her rehab since damaging her knee during the Lionesses’ World Cup group stage defeat of Denmark 
      The England ace has been out of match action since being stretchered close to half time of that match on July 28. 
      Earlier this week the FA revealed the midfielder, who missed her side’s 6-1 demolition of China on Tuesday, had been put on an individual training programme. 
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      And she was seen at the Lionesses’ Central Coast Stadium training base on Friday for the first time since officials confirmed she had not sustained an ACL injury. 
      It is not yet known whether Walsh will feature for England in their last-16 duel against Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium at 08:30 UK time. 
      Their clash with the 11-time Women’s African Cup of Nations champs will be one of the sternest tests they have faced this year. 
      The Super Falcons have already proven they are a match for teams inside Fifa’s top ten.
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      Their group stage run saw them beat tournament co-hosts Australia and snatch a draw with Canada. 
      Nigeria aces Ashleigh Plumptre and Glory Ogbonna will be aiming to help the Super Falcons reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time everCredit: Getty
      Following Germany’s shock exit the Lionesses’ will be wary of becoming the latest football giants undone at the tournament. 
      Wiegman’s side, who conceded just once in the World Cup’s group stages, have emerged as firm contenders to lift the trophy. 
      On Friday forecasting research firm Nielsen revealed England have now overtaken the USA as favourites to go all the way in this year’s contest. More