BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
The Super Falcons will be hoping to avenge their first leg loss when they take on the Canadian women’s national team again today, April 11, 2022 in what analysts see as a grudge international friendly match.
Super Falcon’s first international friendly game against reigning Olympics champions Canada ended with a 2-0 loss at the Vancouver early Sunday morning in the first leg.
The game which was played at the BC Place Stadium was part of the Super Falcons’ preparation ahead of the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Olympic champions dominated the game and could have scored an early goal in the 4th minute, but Chiamaka Nnadozie’s brilliance kept the nine times African champions from not conceding.
The Falcons were virtually lacking the firepower following the absence of Asisat Oshoala.
The Super Falcons managed to soak the pressure in the first half as they held on to goalless heading to the break.
Jessie Fleming broke the deadlock in the 50th minute to give the Canadian women the lead on resumption of the second half.
Chiamaka had to make multiple saves to keep her side in the mix as the hosts continue to pile pressure to double their lead.
Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum substituted Chiamaka for Tochukwu Oluehi in the 70th minute.
Two minutes of her involvement, the reigning Olympics champions doubled their lead in the 72nd minute through Vanessa Gilles.
The Canadians maintained the pressure but to no avail, as the match ended 2-0 in their favour.
This will be the fourth meeting between the Falcons and Canada, since their first encounter in the group stage of the 1995 women’s World Cup which ended 3-3.
Meanwhile, Asisat Oshoala has stirred more controversies over the Super Falcons captaincy after she claimed her predecessor “fasted and prayed” against the captain’s armband when she was stripped of it.
She also claimed she only got to know she was no longer the Super Falcons captain via social media.
The Barcelona star has been stripped of the captain’s armband after officials claimed she has struggled to perform for the country while wearing it.
Desire Oparanozie was also controversially stripped of the Super Falcons captaincy after she led a pay strike at the 2019 World Cup in France.
She was overlooked by the national team till last year after she formally apologized to the NFF.
Oshoala inferred in her reaction on social media that since Oparanozie was stripped of the captaincy, others who have taken over from her did not fare well.
