Nigeria’s Super Falcons fell to a 3-0 defeat to Norway at the Stade Auguite Delaune, Reims in their first Group A game at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France on Saturday night, reports Completesports.com.
The African champions matched the Europeans early on and were unlucky to went behind in the 17th minute courtesy of Guro Reiten deflected shot.
Thomas Dennerby’s ladies kept their composure despite the setback and created a number of half chances.
Norway doubled the advantage four minutes after the half hour mark through Karsleng Utland.
Utland fired the ball home after she was set up by the lively Reiten.
Things got worst for the Super Falcons three minutes later when centre-back Osinachi Ohale put the ball into her own net
The West Africans did up their game after the break but were dealt another blow just five minutes into the half when Sarah Micheal picked up what looked like a serious injury and had to be replaced by Gladys Okeke.
Asisat Oshoala missed a glorious chance to half the deficit for Nigeria with 20 minutes remaining on the clock but instead the Barcelona Ladies forward shot wide after dribbling past the Norwegian goalkeeper.
Despite a period of sustained pressure, the Super Falcons were unable to get a goal in the game.
Host nation, France, lead Group A after matchdau-one games following their 4-0 win against Korea Republic on Friday. Norway are second, on three points too, but with fewer goal difference. Nigeria are in the third position without any point, while Korea Republic are fourth.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will now look to get a more positive result when they take on South Korea in their next game on Wednesday at the Stade des Alpes, Grenoble.
By Adeboye Amosu
14 Comments
Super falcon were terrible tonight. None of their crosses was successful. The percentage of the successful passes was very low. Between the mid-field and the attack,there was little or no communication. Our strikers were to heavy to take advantage of through passes.Obviously, Ordega was the best superfalcon player on the pitch
Our mothers are just to slow…infact there legs are too heavy for them to used. hehehehehe. Super Mama’s
I would rather that we be objective with our posts. The players that lost the match for Nigeria were Ayinde and Chikwelu. They did nothing in the midfield. Poor positioning of the players by the coach was also a factor in the loss today. Nigerian girls were not slow. In fact, majority of them were faster than the Norwegian players. Oshoala was the fastest on the field today but the coach used her in a wrong position.
In terms of organization (which they exploited) , yes, I give it to Norway but player to player, with the exception of the two players I mentioned and Oparanozie, Norway were not better than Nigeria.
When a foreign commentator says, “Nigeria wants to exploit their pace” how can someone now say our players were slow. Let the coach get his strategy right and our players will score goals.
Good observation Josh. Anytime Nigeria lost a game people start commenting with anger, without proper analysis. The Norwegians was better organized but not better than the Falcons. I think the Falcons were careless, and they lost due to carelessness,. Our team is that bad nor the coach.
I mean, our team is not that bad nor the coach.
we cannot play soccer,simple! just looked like a secondary school team coach by a cambodian. I said it before now,oparonozies time is past,she looks lost in naija colours for over 2 yrs now. wonder why she got d armband and starts ahead of younger and hungry players. oshouala needs slap,hot one so as to reset her faculty in the final third.
Oga you don play ball before? Why Barcelona no dey complain about Oshoala. Or you don’t know that they just signed her on a permanent deal. If she needs reset, will they sign her.
I saw the highlights of the match just now, indeed Super Falcons wasn’t at their best. They played badly.
Coach Dennerby have no choice but he have to ring charges in the next match.
Like I said yesterday, good or bad I’m with you Super Falcons. We are in this together.
Canals are calling omo9ja name like chai…..chai….chai…… they are make fun of our darling Super Falcons forgetting that Super Eagles lost their first match in Russia.
Leave our Super Falcons alone o cabals. They just had a bad day in the office today. There’s still hope.
These cabals couldn’t do anything when Super Eagles failed to make it out of their group in Russia.
I can’t wait for the actions to begin in Egypt. I love you coach Rohr and coach Dennerby. I wish both of you the best but if both of you failed. Ah, I’m shaking my head for you na o. Because, I’m going to do the talking soon. God bless Nigeria!!!
Omo9ja 1 day ago
“This is their time. They have a coach who believes in his team and builds confidence and setting a target for the team to be accomplished in France.
Coach Dennerby have been talking tough. He wants to achieve something big. Let’s see how it’s goes. What Super Eagles failed to do in Russia, Super Falcons can do more than that in France.”
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Omo9ja…so what happened to you tough talking coach last night…??? What happened to the lie lie confidence you always come here to rant about…? LMAO
Even the Edwin Okon and Eucharia Uche took the falcons to the 2015 and 2011 world cup, we werent such a disaster. At least the SE did not loose 0-3 in the 1st half of a match in Russia.
You glorify Dennerby for being a talkative without tangible results yet vilify a humility personified Rohr who has been churning out positive results for years now just because of your silly hatred….so where has Arrongance and Bragado taken all the coaches you always support to…? From Adel Amrouche to Stuart Baxter to Tanzanian U17 team coach to Dennerby and so on……all of them should replace rohr just because they brag rather and let the action on the pitch do the talking…pls where are they now.
I’ve told you and most of your fellow haters that your days of Joy are far away….very far away. If you dont stop hating an innocent man just because he’s doing your bidding….e ni duro wo o. E ma ma gbe ile gbo ni…the say way you always are unable to see the SE succeed each time they do.
You better pack that your opele that gives you false prophesies and go and dump it in ogunpa river. Ifa ti ko ba g’beni a ko da s’omi ni o. LMAO
Ire o.
Why were Courtney Dike and Umotong dropped from this team?
Leading up to this tournament, my biggest worry was the stats that showed that our ladies concede too many goals in second halves of matches.
I was hoping they would turn this around but when I say ‘turn it around’ I mean stop conceding goals not, ‘stop conceding goals in the second half and instead, start conceding them in the first half!’.
Truth be told, the team was poor yesterday. They lacked creativity, drive and purpose.
They showed promise quite earlier on but after conceding the first cheap goal, they fell like a pack of cards.
My pre-tournament confidence and belief in this team has now being dealt a major blow, not by the fact that the ladies lost but by the manner and margin of the lost.
From what I saw yesterday, it is hard to expect anything less that a draw and a loss from their next 2 games or worse still, 2 losses.
Dennerby’s enthusiasm and passion got me all fired up positively but when push came to shove, his ladies performed worse than the opening match of the last 2 tournament.
What a let down!
Player ratings: here is how I felt the ladies rated last night
Goalkeeper
Tochukwu Oluehi: Badly exposed for 2
Of the goals but her disastrous distribution gave rise to the 3rd goal(4/10)
Defenders
Faith Michael: Poor overall defensive display that may have gone unpunished against African opponents. (5/10)
Osinachi Ohale: Conceded an own goal to ensure it would neither be hers nor Nigeria’s night. (4/10)
Onome Ebi: At 36 years of age, she showed lack of composure;failed to read dangers and showed sloppiness at times. (4/10)
Ngozi Ebere. Did attempt to help out the attack with crosses but her poor positioning and overall inadequate awareness contributed to the 2nd goal(4/10)
Midfielders
Halimatu Ayinde: I was unsure of her actual job description as she appeared to play without purpose. (4.5/10)
Ngozi Okobi: found it her to stamp her authority in midfield. She seemed to struggle with the tempo of the Norwegians. (4/10)
Rita Chikwelu:Showed total lack of creativity. Nothing sparkling came from her side until much later on when she began to want to attempt to make her presence felt. (6/10)
Attackers
Asisat Oshoala: Gravely under-utilised in the first half where she appeared lost. Was brought more into the game in the second half and almost scored from a tight angle; but I was not sure of her job description for this match (support striker or winger?) (6/10)
Desire Oparanozie: wholly ineffective. As poor as she was, you have to concede that the unimaginative midfield didn’t play to her strengths. Rightly subbed. (5/10)
Francisca Ordega:I though this lady was aging but she showed that she still has it. Full of running ;supported the defence when needed (earning a yellow card) and attacking with purpose. Her end product could be better though. (7.5/10)
Substitutes
Chidimma Okeke: I have been banging the drum that we need more younger fresh defenders. Sleek, agile, fit, fluid; Chidima was a breath of fresh air.(5/10)
Chinaza Uchendu: Tried to inject some urgency to the otherwise sloggish midfield but she can’t change the world herself(6/10)
Uchenna Kanu: On for Oparanozie and showed the pace that the former was lacking. Still, she could not leave a meaningful mark on proceedings (5/10)
Coaching.
Dennerby: Totally bereft of ideas. Didn’t come to the line to shout instructions to her girls like his opposite number.
Often difficult to understand the instructions he gave to his girls.
His much talked about “shape and movement” philosophy were nowhere to be found while his midfield lacked the speed and physicality he promised.
His attack lacked bite and his defence was porous. His technical injection in the team was ineffective. (4/10)
Who did this to us oooo? Nothing is functioning like I said earlier. It’s hard time to do the needful Naija people oooo!!!!