The Super Falcons bounced back from their defeat to South Africa by seeing off debutants Botswana 2-0 in their second Group C game at the ongoing WAFCON on Thursday, Completesports.com reports.
Goals in either half from Ifeoma Onumonu and substitute Christy Ucheibe secured the nine-time champions their first points of the tournament.
Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum made some changes with Chiamaka Nnadozie, Francisca Orgeda, Ngozi Okobi and Toni Payne all starting.
The win means the Falcons go second in Group C and will face Burundi in their last game on Sunday while Botswana face already qualified South Africa.
The Falcons bossed the early exchanges but could not break down the resilient Botswana backline.
But their persistence eventually paid off in the 21st minute through Onumonu, who ran on to a superb pass from Halimotu Ayinde before poking ball past the on rushing Botswana keeper.
Botswana went close in the 32nd minute from a free-kick but Nnadozie produced a fine save to deny them.
Also Read: 2022 WAFCON: South Africa Defeat Burundi To Book Quarter-final Spot
Two minutes later the Falcons had a shout for a penalty for a foul on Ordega but the referee waved it away.
Late in the first half Botswana won a free-kick close to Falcons box but they effort was headed away for a throw in.
Before the start of the second half the Falcons made their first change with Christy Ucheibe replacing Rita Chikwelu.
And it proved to be the perfect introduction as Ucheibe rose highest to head home from a corner by Payne to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
Ucheibe went close again on 52nd minute to extend the Falcons lead after controlling the ball from a set play but hit her effort just over the bar.
In the 64th the Falcons made a double switch with Ordega and Okobi making way for Gift Monday and Regina Otu.
Onumonu could have grabbed her second goal after she was played in by Monday but her effort was well saved the keeper.
Onumonu went close again with a low shot which went just off target.
In the 75th minute Waldrum made another change as Ajibade was replaced by Uchenna Kanu.
With 12 minutes left Ayinde attempted an effort outside the box but saw her effort palmed away for a corner.
In the 85th minute the Falcons were awarded a free-kick in a good area but Ucheibe’s curler was saved by the keeper.
By James Agberebi
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COMMENTS
This team would have destroyed SA easily. I wonder why super falcon played the way they played against SA as if they sold the match.
My analysis of the match is
1. Changes payed off:by bringing in the likes of Okobi,Ordega in midfield where one swapped for the other to facilitate our wing play alongside T. Payne on the left,it caused some issues for Botswana’s midfield being pulled towards the left side henceforth disrupting their shape.
2. Unorthodox fullbacks are risky: I wonder why Mr waldrum can’t field specialist fullbacks in the team because Payne and Alozie will be tested against well drilled teams in this tournament and as attackers, their defensive abilities will be very interesting.
3. Rita Chikwelu needs to be phased out:in one of my previous comments I mentioned a midfielder who was supposed to be our creative linchpin but couldn’t get a key pass right against SA and tonight despite a slight improvement in her performance, same issues were evident especially on the ball even to an extent when Ayinde who was our designated no.6 stepping up to assist Onumonu for the first goal.
4. This Team is not built to play possession based football: its a shame and a damning indictment of the coaching staff that a team known for its fluidity in the past,can’t seem to sustain possession for long periods and rely on their duel winning abilities to keep possession,also there’s a sense of uncertainty and an uncomfortable body language when in possession,players look flat-footed which leads to slow and predictable passes, inability to pass in triangles or one touch as well as on the half turn and with that being the case the coaching staff should endeavour to stop wasting time on rondo sessions and focus more utilising our raw pace and power for counter attacking football which is the best tactic for tournaments football.
I therefore wish these talented team the best of luck and more victories.
Thanks for your comment @ Codex. I agree with all you said 100%. This is what you get when you appoint a coach who knows nothing about Nigerian football, albeit, African football as coaches for Nigeria national teams. How can you convert attackers into defenders. Why should attackers/strikers be your main fullbacks?
To add to all you’ve said, why is the coach playing the players out of position? Rasheedat Ajibade has always played as an attacker from the middle. I wonder why the coach pushed her to the wings. Players like Tochukwu Oluehi, Onome Ebi, Rita Chikwelu, and even Ayinde have outlived their usefulness in the team. They should have been replaced a long time ago. The coach can do himself a whole lot of good by putting them on the bench and fielding younger and more hungry players.
Majority of the players (some of who played today) the coach put on the bench against South Africa should be the players starting for super falcons. Not his preferred set of players.
Imagine what the falcons who do if M. Alozie and T. Payne are fielded up front and allowed to play to their strengths. I still believe the coach and the players I mentioned above needs to give way to younger, better, and more hungry players in the super falcons
You mentioned Ayinde….you missed that one ooo. Did you see her defense splitting passes? At some point I was wondering what kind of football some SE are playing because of the quality of her passes. Watch the first goal properly
I understand your point about Ayinde. But it is important to start measuring these players against fitter and faster teams – USA, Canada, and European teams. If you critically at Ayinde of today and the years past, you’ll notice that she has also slowed down. It is not showing now because she is relatively younger than Chikwelu and Onome Ebi. But sooner or later, this will start to show.
I think the coach studied Botswana’s games before selecting his players. I was surprised to see Payne at left back, but after seebing her contributions I understood why the coach played her their. He played Alozie and Payne as fullbacks to neutralize Botswana’s fast strikers.
Akuko akaria
I hope these coach isn’t planning to take certain players to the WC if we qualify. There’s no way Onome and Oluehi will be able to cope with fast, young and fit teams such as U.S, Sweden, Norway e.t.c I’m currently watching the U.S vs Jamaica game and all I can say is that Waldrum is not a catch at all. The U.S is trying out their younger team and still demolishing Jamaica lol. A coach who relies on tired legs and is not willing to take a risk by trying new and younger legs is preparing for a decimating failure.