Nigeria’s senior women team, the Super Falcons, on Saturday in faraway Gisenyi whip-lashed host Rwanda 4-1 in a first leg African Women Championship (AWC) qualifier.
Falcons started the game brightly by dominating proceedings but threw away so many scoring chances they created. Rising star Asisat Oshoala, however, opened scoring in the 37th minute with a volley inside the box.
Three minutes later, the rampaging Desire Oparanozie, who was the ‘tormentor-in-chief’, set up Asisat to put Super Falcons two goals up. It should have been more before the end of the first half but poor shooting denied the Falcons a more comfortable lead.
A Good Game
Falcons made it three on resumption when the captain, Evelyn Nwabuoku, found Esther Sunday who beat Rwanda goalkeeper with a low shot. Thereafter it was the Falcons against the She Amavubi goalkeeper who pulled off several good saves.
Rwanda pulled a goal back in the 65th minute when Clementine Mukamana’s free kick beat Precious Dede in goal for Nigeria.
Stunned by the goal the Nigerian girls piled pressure on their host and Oparanozie was brought down inside the box and she rose to convert the resultant penalty kick for Falcons fourth goal in the match.
After the game an elated Coach Edwin Okon said: “it was a good game”.
“It should have been more if they had taken the numerous chances created.
“It is a good game, a good win. We did not expect it to be this easy but we take positive in the team work of the girls. They lost so many scoring chances and we shall go back and work on them to ensure that they do not repeat the misses again in Nigeria,” he said.
