Nigeria’s Super Falcons
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade scored twice, and Uchenna Kanu and Asisat Oshoala each contributed a goal, securing the Super Falcons’ advancement to the third round of the African qualifiers for the upcoming Women’s Olympic Football Tournament with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Ethiopia. The nine-time African champions are now set to face Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses in the next stage.
The initial half proved rather uneventful, with missed opportunities by Oshoala and Kanu, and Kalsa Aregash’s shot saved by goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. Additionally, captain Loza Abera attempted to score from a 20-yard free-kick but without success.
Just before the halftime whistle from referee Edoh Kindidje of Togo, Oluwatosin Demehin sent a long ball forward. Kanu, who had previously scored Nigeria’s first goal at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, capitalized on a favorable bounce, outpaced two defenders, and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Tarikua Bergena, giving Nigeria its first goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Captain Ajibade, who had previously scored Nigeria’s equalizer in Addis Ababa six days earlier, struck again, this time with a cross from Oshoala, who had outmaneuvered two defenders on the right, slotting the ball into the net for Nigeria’s second goal.
In the sixty-eighth minute, Oshoala took on the role of a goal scorer, elevating herself to connect with Kanu’s well-placed pass from the left, executing a header from close range that completely caught Bergena off guard.
The visiting team, now overwhelmed, attempted to contain the situation, but their efforts were in vain as Ajibade, as agile and menacing as ever, managed to sneak in and nudge the ball past Bergena just four minutes later, following another delivery from Oshoala.
Ajibade, who plays in Spain, came close to securing a hat-trick at the last moment when she unleashed a shot from 27 yards that narrowly missed.
This victory means that the Super Falcons will now face the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, who managed to overturn a 2-0 deficit in Kampala and defeat Uganda 3-0 in extra time in Yaounde on Tuesday night.