Sports

Women’s Euro 2022: Germany Defeats France, Sets Up Final Showdown Against England

Alexandra Popp scored twice to help Germany to a 2-1 win over France on Wednesday night and into the final of the Women’s Euro 2022 Championship against England at Wembley on Sunday.

With the second semifinals game delicately poised at 1-1 and both teams missing great chances to score, Germany captain Popp leaped above the French defense in the 76th minute to send a bouncing header into the French unguarded goal.

Popp scored the opening goal for Germany in the 40th but the lead lasted less than five minutes before France equalized. Popp has scored in all five of Germany’s games so far — a new record — after missing the last two European Championships in 2013 and 2017 because of injuries.

Popp and England’s Beth Mead are the joint top scorers with six goals each.

“I can’t find any words. We played a crazy game, we threw in everything we had,” the player told German broadcaster ZDF.

“We’re now in the final against England in front of 90,000 at Wembley. To be honest, there’s nothing better, ” the defender said with an air of satisfaction.

Izuchukwu Okosi

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.