With a view to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the DFB women keep saying that they want to continue where they left off in the summer at the 2022 European Championship. There is talk of “special feelings” when the players talk about their performances in national team kit. Each individual contributes their strengths to the benefit of the team.
The keyword for national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is further development. After every training session and every game, the 55-year-old tirelessly emphasizes her need for self-improvement. One person who listens closely to the national coach is Nicole Anyomi – as the 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt striker told DW.
Experiment with mixed results
“The games I played, the minutes I was able to accumulate helped me to develop,” Anyomi said. “And it’s not just me. You can see how the team has evolved and grown through the experience gained.”
Developability is something Anyomi had to demonstrate in the national team. The 23-year-old, who plays an offensive role at Eintracht Frankfurt, often had to play as a full-back in the DFB team. Flexibility is a requirement under national coach Voss-Tecklenburg. “When I first played full-back it was something new for me because I had never learned the position,” says Anyomi. “But my team-mates have helped me. And although it’s not my favorite position, I always do my best.”
Nicole Anyomi’s flexibility has made it an important option for national coach Martina Voss-TecklenburgImage: Thomas Hahn//Sportfoto Zink/picture alliance
Ambition, flexibility and a trust in the national team coach have helped Anyomi settle into the unfamiliar position, making her a more versatile player. “I understood the national coach’s reasons for putting me there. Because that way I can help the team with my speed and my physique,” says Anyomi. “And tactically, as a full-back in the back three, I’m involved in the offensive anyway.”
Battle for the starting eleven
However, Anyomi’s obvious forward drive ensured that she was recently used again where she feels most comfortable: on the offensive. “We have decided to end this little experiment,” Voss-Tecklenburg explained at a press conference and added: “We plan to use her offensively. She has shown very good performances, is self-confident and has scored goals.” Anyomi is “on the right track” in her personal development.
For a number of players, the upcoming friendlies before the World Cup are the last chance to play themselves into the limelight and to be recommended for a place in the final 23-man squad for the World Cup. Anyomi’s nomination is considered likely. The chances of making the starting XI should be rather manageable, however, because the established wingers Svenja Huth and Klara Bühl are unlikely to be ousted.
At the EM 2022, Anyomi scored her first goal in the DFB dress against FinlandImage: Maja Hitij/DFB/Getty Images
While she may not be a name for the starting eleven, Anyomi has nonetheless played her way into the group of players Voss-Tecklenburg relies on. Since her debut in 2021 – a moment she describes as the proudest moment of her life – Anyomi has gained a wealth of experience on the international stage. Especially at Euro 2022 in England, where she came on as a substitute in the third group game against Finland and scored her first international goal.
“Even though we lost, it was incredible to play in front of 90,000 people at Wembley,” said Anyomi of the final against the hosts England. “It’s something I’ll never forget. Definitely the highlight of the tournament.”
question of self-confidence
As vice European champions, the German women travel to the tournament in Australia as co-favourites. But according to Anyomi, it is not easy for some to deal with a (co-)favorite role. “It’s a difficult subject because of course we all want to win the title and we saw the form we’re in at the Euro,” she said. “As players we do talk about it from time to time, but it’s not like we boast that we’re the best. We’re more reserved about it.”
But restraint doesn’t mean that you can’t formulate your goals. The word world champion is by no means unpronounceable for Anyomi: “Why not just say it? It’s a matter of confidence. I want to be world champion – no question.”
Translated from English