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Nigeria blow as FIFA extends Deborah Abiodun’s suspension to three matches
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has reviewed the red card handed to Nigeria’s senior women’s national team midfielder, Deborah Abiodun.
Instead of missing a match, the University of Pittsburg midfielder will now miss three games at the 202 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
FIFA has surveyed the straight red card displayed to Abiodun in Nigeria’s game against Canada and on second thought of her missing one game (against Australia), she will currently be suspended for three matches.
She was sent off after a challenge on Ashley Lawrence in the additional minutes of the second half.
After intervention from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the referee who had initially issued a yellow card changed her mind and upgraded the yellow card to a red, leaving Nigeria with 10 players to finish the match.
Abiodun has missed two games against Australia and the Republic of Ireland as a result of the red card.
She will also miss the Super Falcons’ next game in the Round of 16 when the team faces the winner of Group D.
If the nine-time African champions progress to the quarter-final, Abiodun would likely return to the team at the end of her suspension.
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