In a tense international friendly match on Saturday evening, Montpellier forward Ifeoma Onumonu found the back of the net for Nigeria, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Super Falcons from suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to French national team Les Blues.
Despite the setback, the match served as crucial preparation for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, Footballrover reports.
This encounter marked the first meeting between the Super Falcons and France since their clash at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
The game, which kicked off at 9:10 PM Nigerian time, saw an early shock as Les Blues’ goal was disallowed within minutes of the match starting.
Ifeoma Onumonu scores Nigeria’s first-ever goal against Les Blues
However, the home team quickly regrouped and continued to apply pressure, with Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, making several critical saves to keep the Falcons in the game.
The French side’s persistence finally paid off in the 28th minute when Eugenie Le Sommer put them ahead.
Ten minutes later, Amel Majri doubled their lead, capitalising on a defensive lapse from the Super Falcons.
Just before the break, Ifeoma Onumonu made history by scoring Nigeria’s first ever goal against their hosts.
Her composed finish brought the Falcons within a single goal of the French team heading into the interval.
Despite several attempts, the second half saw little action in terms of goals. Tensions rose, and in the dying moments of the match, Osinachi Ohale was shown a second yellow card, leaving Nigeria with only 10 players on the pitch.
The final whistle blew with Les Blue securing a 2-1 victory.
France maintains dominance over the Super Falcons
This loss adds to a growing list of disappointing results for Nigeria against Les Blues, following their humbling 8-0 defeat in a previous friendly.
With this victory, coach of the home team Laurent Boandei will surely be pleased with his team’s performance, which saw them extend their dominance over the nine-time African champions.
As the Super Falcons continue their preparations for WAFCON 2025, the loss will surely provide valuable lessons for the team as they look to bounce back stronger.
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