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Chiamaka Nnadozie’s heroics earns 10-woman Nigeria draw against Canada
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team got their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign off to a positive start in Australia with a 0-0 draw with Olympic champions, Canada on Friday.
In the highly anticipated opening match, coach Randy Waldrum handed seven of his 13 debutants, including 19-year-old Deborah Abiodun a starting role in his first XI against the Canadians.
90 minutes were not enough for either side to separate themselves as both teams played out a barren draw at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in their opening match of the tournament.
Canada were largely in control throughout, dominating possession but failed to create chances of quality from open play, while Nigeria chose their moments carefully, opening up to counter-attack especially as the match wore on.
Christine Sinclair was handed the best opportunity of the match from the penalty spot after winning a spot-kick thanks to Francisca Ordega’s challenge, but the Super Falcons’ match-day captain would deny another as Chiamaka Nnadozie guessed correctly and made a great stop.
Canada had the first chance of the match in the first ten minutes of play when Adriana Leon drove toward the goal and found Christine Sinclair, who took a touch to put it on her right foot before curling a 20-yard effort that narrowly missed the top corner.
Ifeoma Onumonu cut inside from the left and fired a dangerous, bouncing effort but Kailen Sheridan saw it the whole way and dived to the right to make a save in the 23rd minute.
A high ball over the top to Asisat Oshoala in the 36th minute draws Sheridan off her line, but the goalkeeper completely misses her sliding challenge, leaving the net gaping.
The Barcelona striker attempted a shot from an extremely acute angle which was cleared off the line by Vanessa Gilles before Ashley Lawrence sacrificed her body to block Francisca Ordega’s follow-up effort.
Despite conceding a penalty after VAR reviews, stand-in captain Nnadozie, who set a record for the youngest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in 2019, pulled off a double save from the penalty spot to rescue the Africans from Sinclair’s spot-kick in the second half.
In additional minutes of the second half, debutant and University of Pittsburgh midfielder Abiodun was sent off after intervention from the VAR, the referee changed her mind and upgraded the yellow card to a red, leaving Nigeria with 10 players to finish the match.
It was a terrible, mistimed stomp to the shin of Ashley Lawrence from Abiodun, which will leave her unable to play in the next match.
The result leaves the two sides level for second in group B after Australia’s win over the Republic of Ireland earlier.
Nigeria play hosts Australia in their next fixture in a week’s time, while Canada go six days before their match against the Republic of Ireland.
