Ordega Douses Worries About Her Injury Ahead Of Clash With Portugal

Levante of Spain female team winger, Francisca Ordega has doused worries over an injury she copped in action with Nigeria’s women’s national team, Super Falcons on Thursday, when they fell 1-0 to Jamaica in their opening match of the 2021 WNT Summer Series in Houston, Texas, USA.

The well-travelled female football star from Benue State, who has played in Sweden, USA, Australia and China, captained the Falcons against Jamaica in the absence of Barcelona Femeni of Spain attacker, Asisat Oshoala but she bowed out as the Nigerian ladies fell in defeat.

Megasportsarena.com reports that, in a game thoroughly dominated by the Caribbeans, Houston Dash of USA defender, Deneisha Blackwood netted what turned out to be the winner in the 51st minute when she hit home a brilliant finish after a cut back by Vyan Sampson.

The Falcons had their goalkeeper, Tochukwu Oluehi to thank for keeping the score line low, as the Jamaicans sliced through their African opponents at will, especially in the first half of the game decided at BBVA Stadium in Houston, Texas, USA.

Blackwood could have given The Reggae Girlz the lead in the 25th minute after Glory Ogbonna fouled Jody Brown inside the penalty box. Oluehi, a master at stopping spot kicks once again weaved the magic by denying Blackwood’s tamely shot effort.

Randy Waldrum’s side showed more purpose in the second half with the Introduction of two American University graduates, Ijeoma Okoronkwo, who went on late in the first half, and Michelle Alozie, an attacker that had to play as right wing back, but went closest to equalising for the African champions, as her left footed effort from 25 yards ricocheted off the cross bar.

Okoronkwo had earlier got the ball to the back of the net but her effort was rightly chalked off for offside, as the game ended in defeat for the Nigerians, whose next game in the Summer Series comes up on Sunday against Portugal, ahead of which Ordega affirmed that the injury she copped on Thursday was not serious.

She is now priming herself for another outing against the Portuguese, who are 29th in the FIFA Ranking, even as Nigerian team officials maintained there are no injury worries in the team and that the Levante forward was taken out of Thursday’s game as a precaution.

Ordega, who is one of the most experienced players on a largely experimental Falcons squad participating at the competition in the USA, declared ahead of Sunday’s game in Texas: “I appreciate the concerns of everyone, but I’m fine and very well.”