Nigeria’s female national team, Super Falcons on Saturday booked a semi-final clash with old foes, Cameroon at the 11th Women Africa Cup of Nations in Accra.
A 6-0 mauling of two-time champions, Equatorial Guinea in Cape Coast on Saturday set the Falcons up for a repeat of the AWCON 2016 final in Yaoundé, as Nigeria and Cameroon face off in the first semi final of this year’s edition on Tuesday.
Desire Oparanozie signaled it would be another day of several misses when she poorly hit the ball with only the goalkeeper to beat after two minutes. Asisat Oshoala’s sky –high, long range free-kick followed four minutes later.
However, all-action forward Francisca Ordega, who was named player of the match in the 4-0 defeat of Zambia during the second group game on Wednesday, shot Nigeria into the lead after 10 minutes with a poacher’s strike from a Rita Chikwelu pass.
Two minutes later, Oshoala finished well from a Oparanozie pull –out to make it two for the Super Falcons, but this was followed by Ngozi Okobi wasting another glorious opportunity in the 19th minute.
Oshoala netted her second of the day and Nigeria’s third when she coolly angled the ball from Halimat Ayinde’s pass, but then booted another good chance wide on the half hour.
Oshoala, who was voted woman of the match at the end of it all, completed her hat –trick in the 34th minute, nodding twice from another Oparanozie pull –out to make it four for the champions.
In the second half, the Nzalang Nacional, who lost 1-7 to South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on Wednesday in Cape Coast, looked brighter.
However, Oparanozie’s fierce shot that took a deflection on its way into the net from a brilliant Ordega move and pass took the fight out of them.
Substitute Anam Imo sliced her shot horribly off target seconds after coming into the fray, and after Rita Chikwelu got the sixth by running well onto a pass from Ngozi Ebere to outfox the goalkeeper, Oshoala wasted another one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper.
In the other match of Group B played in Accra, South Africa and Zambia tied 1-1, meaning the Zambians head home while South Africa head back to Cape Coast to tackle Mali in Tuesday’s second semi final.
