By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
TEN WOMEN Defending Champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria kept hope alive at the Stade Larbi Zouli in Casablanca Morocco on Saturday night when they piped the stubborn Zambian ladies in a gritty match by a long goal.
Fleet footed former multiple African footballers of the year, Asisat Oshoala scored an early goal in the 8th minute to silence the over-confident Zambians who challenged every move of the Nigerians and tried forcing them to commit errors.
Ref J. Wanjiku of Kenya gave central defender, Oluwatosin Dimehin a 1st yellow card when she fouled superbrat Babra Banda who was well marked out in the match, but Dimehin got a red card on 2nd yellow in the 41st minute leaving Nigeria to to adopt a structural adjustment plan to contain the Zambian onslaught.
Over 30,000 fans packed inside the stadium yelling at high level decibel as Nigeria got 7-8 shots at goal, 3-2 on target; stringing less passes of 222-230 in 49-51 ball possessions.
The tensed match saw the Zambians trying to break Nigeria with their now trademark long passes of 72-51 looking for fast breaks but Nigeria too pressed harder unlucky to convert their 7-4 corner kicks advantage as both sides had to be edgy causing the Kenyan Ref to flash 2-2 yellow cards separate from the Dimehin ones.
Zambian and Nigeria met 4 times, Nigeria won thrice and Zambia once. Nigeria scored 15 of the 16 goals but tonight the Zambian defence tried using everything even their teeth to block the lethal Nigerian shots especially from Esther Okoronkwo and Uchenna Kanu
This lone goal victory is a sweet revenge of the 3rd place match of 22nd July 2022 when Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie scored an own goal that gave them victory.
Ranked 65 the Copper Queens of Zambia that blasted Cleopatras of Egypt 6-0 in the 1st round are in their 5th tournament with their best of Bronze medal in 2022 after Chiamaka error; they made quarterfinals at the last tournament but were ousted at the group stages in 2016 and 2020.
Super Falcons ranked 36 has appeared in every of the 14th tournaments and are pursuing their 11th title even as defending champions.
However, debutante Scorchers of Malawi tops the group with 6 points on +3 goals difference; Zambia is still 2nd with 3 points with +5 goals difference; Nigeria is 3rd with 3 points too but zero goals difference while Egypt has no point but -8 goals difference.
The final round group matches between Zambia and Malawi will determine a lot in group C because if there is at least a draw or Malawian shocker again and Nigeria beats Egypt which many experts there will be with avalanche of goals, then the Zambians will be out together with Egypt.
Group D will play their 2nd group matches tomorrow Sunday when Ghana plays Cameroon at 6.00pm and Mali faces Cape Verde at 9.00pm.
All the group 3rd round matches will take place simultaneously at 9pm each day from Monday.
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#NFF #ZFF.
