The Super Falcons of Nigeria thrashed Cape Verde 5-0 in the
first leg of the final round of qualifiers for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of
Nations (WAFCON).
Braces from Uchenna Kanu and Esther Okoronkwo and a
first-half strike from Gift Monday emphasised the Falcons’ superiority in the
game played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, on Thursday.
Due to the continued absence of Randy Waldrum, Falcons head
coach, Madugu Justine, an assistant coach, took control of the team for the
game. The match was the third consecutive game with Madugu in charge of the
Falcons.
The change in technical personnel failed to blunt the effectiveness of the Nigerians, and they scored their first goal in the seventh minute through a tap-in from Kanu.
In the 25th minute, Gift doubled the lead from a goalmouth
scramble before Kanu completed her brace with a shot that rattled into the net
off the crossbar.
Okoronkwo then added the fourth goal in the second half
after she guided a cross from Esther Akudo into the net. The Tenerife FC
striker got her brace shortly after with another simple finish off Rofiat
Imuran’s cross.
The best player on the pitch was Deborah Abiodun, playing
her first game for Nigeria since the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She was a dominant
figure in the midfield, winning tackles and linking defence and attack together
effectively throughout the game. Her virtuoso performance earned her rapturous
applause from the spectators in the stadium.
Nigeria will travel for the encounter’s return leg in Praia on December 5. A favourable result will secure the Falcons’ ticket to 2024 WAFCON, billed to be hosted by Morocco.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com