July 08, (THEWILL) – In their second TotalEnergies 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations Group C match in Morocco, the Super Falcons defeated Botswana 2-0 to restart their title defence after the 2-1 loss to South Africa.
Asisat Oshoala, Ashleigh Plumptre, and Tochukwu Oluehi, who participated in the opening match against South Africa, were absent from the team. Coach Randy Waldrum changed his starting lineup for the match against the Botswana Mares after Oshoala sustained an injury.
With Francisca Ordega and Rasheedat Ajibade cutting in from the flanks, the Falcons had a strong start to the game thanks to the effective formation. The Falcons kept up the pressure, and the Botswana team was unable to stop them. In the 21st minute, Nigerian number nine Ifeoma Onumonu scored by latching onto a pass from Halimatu Ayinde.
As this game was crucial to their chances of moving on to the quarterfinals, the Falcons maintained their dominance to finish the first half with a narrow 1-0 advantage. Rita Chikwelu was replaced by Christy Ucheibe at the start of the second period and the latter quickly extended the Falcons’ advantage with an incredible header.
In order to avoid slipping up like they did against South Africa, the Super Falcons kept control of the game until the final whistle. The result increased their chance of making it beyond the group stage with a crucial game against Burundi up next on Sunday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
