Nigeria’s Falconets began their campaign at this year’s FIFA U-20 women’s World Cup in Colombia on a perfect note after edging South Korea 1-0 in their Group D opener in the early hours of Monday, Completesports.com reports.
Stade de Reim of France forward Flourish Sabastine’s late strike secured the three points for the Falconets.
Sabastine also scored a late goal for the Falconets when they defeated France 1-0, in their opening game of the 2022 U-20 women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.
The win against South Korea means the Falconets are second in Group D behind Germany, who thrashed Venezuela 5-2.
Flourish Sabastine celebrating her late goal for the Falconets
Meanwhile, the Falconets will be up against Germany in their second Group D game billed for September 4 while Korea will face Venezuela.
The Falconets dominated the opening five minutes of the encounter but could not carve out any real scoring opportunity.
In the 25th minute the Koreans went close but Comfort Folorunsho made a timely clearance.
Just two minutes later the Falconets should have broken the deadlock but missed a glorious chance.
With two minutes left in the first half Korea was presented with a decent chance but Hyeyoung failed to convert.
Then in one minute of first half stoppage time Kim Shinji saw her effort hit the post.
Just like in the first half the Falconets kicked off the second half on the front foot and almost got rewarded on 50 minutes but were denied by the Korean keeper.
The game continued to drag on with both teams making changes with nothing to show.
With seven minutes left the Koreans almost got rewarded only to be denied by Shukurat Bakare who pulled off a good save.
The Falconets eventually got the breakthrough in the 86th minutes thanks to Sabastine.
In the 89th minute the Koreans almost snatched a late equalizer but Bakare came to the Falconets’ rescue with another impressive save.
By James Agberebi
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COMMENTS
Just like the last time around vs France, it was a game with narrow margings which could have gone either ways within seconds.
But all in all, congrats to the girls.
The big questions over Danjuma sill lingers
WELL DONE LADIES!!
But frankly there’s room for MASSIVE improvement. For a second there, one could be forgiven for mistaking the Falconets for Randy Waldrum’s kick-and-rush Super Falcons. Hopefully, it’s not a contagious condition (LOL!) and this team improves as the tournament progresses.
GOOD LUCK GIRLS!!!
You got it, the defence was great but the midfield and attack has no planning. Is there something strange happening to Nigeria Football In general? Final balls are nothing to write home about the goal was a cross cum shot that ended in the net due to miracle if i must be honest. I far can we get if we don’t start making build up plays???
Good morning forumites that’s why we must be very strategic in picking national team coaches for both the male and female national team.I have always believed that the national teams would have done better especially for the ladies if quality coaching was implemented.
It’s high time the Nigerian Football Federation started investing in local coaches. They’re a big part of why our national teams have been floundering on the international stage. No matter how promising a team looks at the start, once they face technically sound opponents, it’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Our teams stumble, falter, and fumble, especially when it comes to technical inputs. I’ve noticed a few common threads in teams coached by Nigerian coaches—at least, the vast majority of them, especially at the club and age-grade levels:
1. Profligacy in front of goal:Many of our teams are great at creating chances, but when it comes to that final, crucial decision, the ball is more likely to land in Row Z than in the back of the net. This isn’t just bad luck; it’s a glaring technical deficiency that has plagued us for years and refuses to go away.
2. Overemphasis on skill and pace: It seems like we’re obsessed with producing flashy, speedy attackers. Maybe that’s what our academy owners and club coaches focus on—churning out players who can dribble past five defenders but then trip over their own feet when it’s time to shoot. We’re all style, no substance.
3. Neglect of technical midfielders: These days, it feels like we’ve forgotten the importance of having technically sound midfielders, especially in the creative and attacking roles. Our transitions are sloppy, our play is disjointed, and it often looks like we’re making it up as we go along.
4. Lack of a distinct playing style:
Where’s our identity on the pitch? All we see is “kick and follow” football from teams with tons of talent but zero finesse. Meanwhile, have you noticed how South African teams have developed a possession-based, almost Brazilian style of play? Whether it’s the Amajimbos, Bafana Bafana, Sundowns, or Pirates, they’ve crafted a brand of football that’s not just beautiful to watch but also consistently effective. Why can’t we do that? Why can’t we develop our own unique approach and stop hiring just anyone to coach our teams?
It’s time we figure out how they did it and start implementing real changes in our system. Our football deserves better than this endless cycle of mediocrity.
Falconets vs. South Korea 1:0 – Retrospective Review
I thought it was a pleasant game to watch, actually. Though, Coach Danjuma’s girls didn’t present an all round polished performance, the professionalism they brought to bear in their focus and attention to formation integrity cannot be faulted.
South Korea were very compact and presented as a solid, physical and cohesive unit. Hence, particularly earlier in the game, they effectively crowded out Nigeria’s midfielders and swarmed on Flourish Sebastian and Rafiat Imuran down the flanks thereby starving centre forward Mary Nkpa of valuable service.
As the match wore on though, Nigeria started to make valuable headway with some stubborn movements, clean interplay of passes and crosses that were quite tricky to judge (which will coincidentally lead to the only goal as the swerve applied by Sebastian to her cross landed it in the back of the net in 83 minutes).
I thought the players all felt comfortable and performed admirably within the 4-2-3-1 formation that Danjuma deployed. The roster has quite an impressive curb appeal with players that have all experienced tournament football at a high level.
Goalkeeper Shukura Bakare looked very assured, commanding and composed in-between the sticks. Her judgements were spot on, often diving to the right direction of shots even though some hit the bar. She brought assurance to play with her positioning and timing and her communication was on point.
I loved her no-nonsense demeanour as she looked ready for business. I struggle to see how Faith Omilana will wrest the shirt from her.
Left Fullback and team captain Oluchi Ohaegbulem did allow some dangerous crosses to be delivered from her flank; she was also beaten in 1v1 before the striker cut in to shoot. Her interactions with others were quite productive as she supported winger Imuran with offensive runs and an outlet for passes. Several of her deliveries were neat and tidy (though I noted a few misplaced or overcooked passes) and she was strong – for the most parts – in duels.
She looks like a double of Tosin Demehin. Also, she was very compelling and composed and provided attacking outlets, it was enjoyable watching her.
Highly experienced Right Fullback Jumoke Alani brought all her know-how to bear in a performance that caused problems for the opposition and raise her own profile as a rising star. She delivered a dangerous cross that left South Korea’s defence scrambling. Her interactions with Sebastian, Bello and Adoo were a joy to watch and often progressive. Her touches were neat and positioning exemplary though a dangerous cross leaked through her flank.
I just loved the sense of urgency and focus brought produced by Alani. She filled me with much confidence.
The Centre backs of (left) Shukurat Oladipo and (right) Comfort Folorunsho were very solid and unyielding. I like Folorunsho because her warm smile is infectious. She was very assured in her tackles and interceptions and formed a formidable partnership with Shukurat that will only strengthen as the tournament progresses .Oladipo is a like shovel, just digging the ball out of danger with Comfort a bit more measured and sophisticated. Both tried to launch long balls to attackers with mixed results.
Both ladies seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the danger faced by opposition strikers which endeared me to their performances and make me look forward to seeing them in the next game.
The 2 deep-lying playmakers – (left) Chioma Olise and (right) Yina Adoo – were quite effective in shielding the back four. That said, Olise struggled on one occasion to prevent a dangerous cross into Nigeria’s 18 yard and some of their passes went awry. Both ladies displayed exceptional attention to detail when without the ball but struggled a little bit on it. Higher up the pitch from the side, Olise seemed to come alive with some decent crosses whilst Adoo seems more at home operating from the centre where she delivered some truly tantalising short and long passes that held promise. As a duo, both are dynamite.
Olise and Adoo looked like a promising partnership. They were a bit subdued in this encounter but when they were on the ball, they got the heart racing delightfully; I love them!
Amina Bello was given the thankless task to be the main the creative outlet up front but she was closed down and crowded out by the South Koreans on occasions. That said, managed a shot at goal and worked to get into promising positions. She played a part of the pitch were footballers pray to play because of the prestige it brings, yet she didn’t raise the profile of her game high enough or make the kind of decisions that will make her continued starting slot unassailable.
That said, I enjoyed Amina’s game. It was a respectable and professional display in how she spread herself and kept fighting for the ball and her desire to take shots (even when a pass would have been a better choice).
I think Flourish Sebastian (whom I think is more lethal operating from the left) was moved to right wing to accommodate Rafiat Imuran on the left. Both were as busy as busy but Sebastian was targeted by the South Koreans as our danger-woman which curtailed her somewhat. Those dangerous runs to the by-line to deliver deadly crosses were few and far between. But she took her goal well with an in-swinger that swerved into the net. She tried to muscle though opposition defenders to deliver a variety of passes. Imuran was quite neat down the left and her interactions with Olise and Oluchi always proved dangerous in their movements, passes and crosses. Attention to positional details was a hallmark of Imuran’s overall presentation though some final balls were under or over baked. Sebastian too was guilty of producing some faulty passes.
I still think Sebastian would be more explosive down the left but hey, she scored a goal and Imuran put in a tidy shift with a cross to Sebastian down the middle that almost resulted in a goal had Sebastian seen off the defenders. Sweet performances from both!
Centre Forward Mary Nkpa was a hustler, battling for every ball and trying to dispossess the South Koreans from the back. She was starved of service but when put clean on goal by the impressive Imuran, she blasted wide. She ran the channels well and looked very eager to get a taste of the action – maybe too eager, robbing her output of finesse even though she can’t be faulted for effort or ambition.
Mary’s hustle and bustle in the second half particularly put a smile on my face. I love her urgency and willingness to leave her mark though I think Opeyemi Ajakaye might offer more bite.
Substitute Chiamaka Okwuchukwu displayed dribbling credentials by breezing past 2 defenders deep inside the 18 yard box but shot at the goalkeeper when a cross was the best option. Her fellow substitute Chiamaka Osigwe will also show Okwuchukwu that selfishness doesn’t pay when, on a 2 v 1 situatuation, Osigwe elected to shoot (and missed) with Okwuchukwu better placed for a simple tap in!
That said, both Chiamakas proved a handful for South Korea with Osigwe providing the assist for Sebastian’s goal. I loved what both of them brought to the party in penetration and intent – shame about their selfishness.
The game lived up to my expectations in grinding out results against a stubborn opposition. Danjuma constructed a formation and picked players that fitted it neatly. The South Koreans came to win this game which made life difficult for Danjuma’s girls but, despite the criticisms of armchair coaches like me, the decision to play Sebastian on the right gave rise to the winning goal which vindicates and validates Danjuma’s choices.
Hi DEO, enjoyed your review – albeit we might have been watching different games! LOL!
Perhaps, when I have time to re-watch the game, without the tension of live action, I might see some of those things you saw.
BTW, the CB pairing actually had Oladipo at RCB and Folorunsho at LCB (not vice versa), and for my money Oladipo continues from where see left off at the African Games in Ghana as the most consistent performer on the team. Meanwhile, while deferring to Coach Danjuma’s obviously superior knowledge of the players, if however I had my own way, I would return Imuran to LB, even though she plays further forward at Reims (as I have never really been a fan of Ohaegbulem), freeing Flourish to return to the left side of the attack, and starting Okwuchukwu on the right wing.
GOOD LUCK LADIES!