Nigeria’s U-20 women’s football team, the Falconets, suffered a 1-0 defeat to three-time world champion, Germany, in their group C opener at the 2018 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
A timely shot from Stefanie Sanders in the 70th minute gave the Germans the edge they needed over the Nigerian side.
The events of Monday’s game clearly was not in the favour of the very boisterous Falconets who started off quite lacklustre. The German ladies were not left out of the misfortune as both teams were ruled in the roost by struggles in the early minutes of the game.
Towards the end of the first half, Germany found her right foot and began the onslaught on the Nigerian side. However, they were denied the early victory by the very quick Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Into the second half, Nigeria had two good chances via Rasheedat Ajibade and Anam Imo. Nonetheless, the German team were saved by Vanessa Fischer.
With 20 minutes left in the game, Sanders put Germany ahead on a goal leaving the Falcons to pull up every trick in their box to get an equalizer. But this rather moved farther from them as the clock ran fast into full-time.
This defeat is the third the Falconets have suffered at the hands of Germany’s U-20 ladies, having lost in the finals of the 2010 and 2014.
The ill-fated Falconets will now take on Haiti at the same venue on Thursday, 9th August.
Feature image: fifa.com