The Nigeria national women’s football team, the Super Falcons have emerged champions of the 2021 Alanya Gold City Cup- first for any team from Africa.
The Super Falcons thrashed their fellow African team, Equatorial Guinea 9-0 to claim their first International silverware in a long while on Tuesday.
After recording successive 1-0 wins over CSKA Moscow Ladies and the Uzbekistan women national team, the Super Falcons knew they needed to finish strong with another win to claim the top prize in the high-profile invitational tournament.
Coach Randy Waldrum made three changes to his side for the Equatorial Guinea clash. Charity Adule, Christy Ohiaeriaku and Uchenna Kanu were given starting berths in places of Halimatu Ayinde, Tochukwu Oluehi and Francisca Ordega respectively on the Super Falcons’ side.
The nine-time African champions hit the ground running from the blast of the whistle and eight minutes into the game, Ogbonna Kanu gave the Super Falcons the lead.
Three minutes after taking the lead, captain Asisat Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead; scoring from the penalty spot after Toni Payne was brought down in the box.
Oshoala scored Nigeria’s third goal, again from the penalty spot as the rough-tackling Equatorial Guinea girls were getting punished for their sloppy play. Osoala completed her hat trick in style in the 26th minute as the Barcelona ace beat the offside and easily sidestepped Equatorial Guinea to score and make it 4-0 in favour of the Falcons.
A goal each from Uchenna Kanu, Charity Adule, and Toni Payne saw Nigeria cruise to a massive 7-0 lead at the interval. Nigeria’s West African neighbours had already conceded seven goals without scoring any in their first two matches and they faced a real hiding from the Nigerian women.
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The Nigerian Ladies took things easier in the second 45 minutes, and added just two more goals to end the match with a comprehensive 9-0 victory and thus become the first African side to ever win the Alanya Gold City Cup.
In three matches, the Super Falcons recorded three wins and scored 11 goals without conceding any under the new management team headed by Randy Waldrum. The American had told the official Nigeria Football Federation website after their second victory that he wants his team to continue with a winning habit.
“It is good to sustain the habit of winning. That winning mentality is key and once we ‘habitualize’ it, we keep it and keep going with it. We will need it in qualifying matches and the big tournaments.”
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