Francis Ajuonuma
Super Falcons of Nigeria put in all they had at their disposal yesterday to survive Black Queens of Ghana onslaught in the reserve fixture of their 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifier in Accra as the hosts won the game by 1-0 but it was not enough to see them through to the next stage of the competition
The Nine-time African Champions had last Thursday at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan, Lagos won the first leg 2-0 to bring the goal aggregate to 2-1 to progress into the next stage where they would meet Les Elephantes of Ivory Coast in February 2022. The Blacks Queens only goal of the match was scored by Princella Adubea midway into the second half.
Afterwards, captain Asisat Oshoala missed an opportunity to draw Nigeria level. With the strong scent of blood, the Black Queens launched onslaught after onslaught but could not get the goal that would have tied the fixture and make penalty shootout inevitable at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Both teams finished with 10 players after Ghana’s captain Portia Boakye was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and minutes after, Nigeria’s left back Glory Ogbonna was expelled by Ivorian referee Zomadre Sonia Kore.
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TNSports recalls that the Ivorians are not going to be an easy opponent for the Super Falcons as it were the Ivorians who sent the Nigerian girls packaging from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers. The Ivorians held the Falcons to a 1-1 draw in Lagos after the first leg in Abidjan had ended scoreless.
