France head coach, Laurent Bonadei, has lauded the Super Falcons of Nigeria for their resilience following his team’s narrow 2-1 victory in an intense international friendly.
Bonadei, whose risky tactics kept his side on edge, highlighted one Super Falcons star for special praise after the thrilling contest, Footballrover reports.
The match, held on Saturday evening, saw Eugenie Le Sommer and Amel Majri secure France’s lead before Ifeoma Onumonu’s historic goal brought Nigeria back into contention.
Despite the victory, Bonadei admitted that his team struggled to handle Nigeria’s defensive strength and owed much to their young players for working together as a team.
“I was able to bring on quite a few players. It was important to give some of them playing time and to preserve the victory in a difficult contest,” he said.
Super Falcons star draws France coach’s admiration
While reflecting on the match, Bonadei singled out Chiamaka Nnadozie for her outstanding performance.
The Nigerian goalkeeper was instrumental in keeping the Super Falcons in the game, pulling off multiple key saves that thwarted France’s attacking momentum.
“Nigeria is a team that defends well. We lacked efficiency and remained under pressure until the end. Chiamaka Nnadozie made some good saves. I’m quite happy with the game,” the coach added.
Bonadei also praised the efforts of his team, particularly Alice and Jade, whose contributions provided leadership in the tight encounter.
“The players applied the instructions as best they could. Our system (3-4-3) was risky against this team, but we were able to maintain solidarity with young players.
Alice had a very good match, and Jade’s entry brought the leadership to Maëlle. It’s encouraging,” he concluded.
The Super Falcons, on the other hand, will take valuable lessons from this defeat as they keep preparing for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
This loss marks their second defeat to France after their 2019 Women’s World Cup clash, but the team’s fightback in this match showed their determination.
With the 2-1 victory, France continues to assert dominance over Nigeria, but the Super Falcons’ spirited display suggests they are far from beaten.
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