Izuchukwu OkosiNigeria and Ethiopia’s senior girls put up a hard-fought battle in Addis Ababa on Wednesday evening with the game ending 1-1 to set up an interesting return leg in Abuja on Tuesday next week.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade’s scorching shot from the edge of the box, six minutes after the restart, restored parity at the Abebe Bikila Stadium, after the Ethiopian girls had surprisingly taken the lead in the 6th minute of play as Birkie Amare made hay from a corner kick.
With Asisat Oshoala in the top-striking position, Uchenna Kanu and Gift Monday operated from the wings, with Michelle Alozie switched to left back to allow Nicole Payne take charge at right back.
Oluwatosin Demehin and Akudo Ogbonna took control at the centre of the defence, and with Christy Ucheibe and Halimatu Ayinde unavailable, Peace Efih joined Toni Payne and Ajibade to string things together in the middle.
Both teams found it hard to create many opportunities in a tight first period, though Asisat Oshoala should have done better with an opportunity from Payne’s cross halfway into the period.
After Ajibade restored parity, the Falcons took full control, and substitute Ifeoma Onumonu should have put Nigeria in the lead in the 64th minute, only to be denied as she cocked the trigger.
Payne and Onumonu combined to create a gilt-edged opportunity in the 79th minute, but once more Oshoala failed to make hay.
The Falcons thought they had won it when Onumonu towered above all to head into the net on the dot of time. However, Algerian referee Lamia Atman spotted foul play in the build-up.
Both teams will clash again at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, with the winner on aggregate to proceed to the third round, where the winner of the Cameroon/Uganda fixture awaits.
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.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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