Izuchukwu Okosi
African women’s champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons early Saturday morning (Saturday evening in Canada) suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first of their two-legged friendly games against women’s Olympic Games gold medallists Canada at the BC Place stadium in Vancouver reports Prime Business Africa.
Jessie Fleming and Vanessa Gilles scored for the hosts.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Falcons are using the games as preparation for the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations and managed to hold the hosts to a scoreless first half.
Nigeria had the choice of parading goalkeepers, first Chiamaka Nnadozie and later Tochukwu Oluehi in the second half and it was great to have two wonderful keepers shine bright ahead of the AWCON in Morocco.
Before the break Nigeria’s Uchenna Kanu bore down on goal but was eventually dispossessed of the ball by Kadeisha Buchanan.
The Nigerians’ defensive resistance were however broken five minutes into the second half when Chelsea forward Jessie Fleming slalomed her way to find the back of the net.
Rasheedat Ajibade thought she had restored parity when her long range piledrive was gathered by Canadian keeper Stephanie Labbe.
Former Bordeaux defender Vanessa Gilles doubled the hosts’ lead in the 72nd minute of play with a powerful header from a corner kick.
Both countries will face off again in the early hours of Monday morning at the same venue.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
