Oshoala, Oparanozie Threaten Nkwocha’s AWCON Records

Nigeria’s female national team, Super Falcons’ duo of Asisat Oshoala and Desire Oparanozie will enter Saturday’s Africa Women Cup of Nations final against South Africa with their eyes on some records held by ex-international, Perpetua Nkwocha.
Oshoala and Oparanozie are among Nigeria’s leading scorers so far at AWCON 2018, where the Falcons aim to win the continental title for a ninth time against Banyana Banyana, but they will also have some personal diadems to flaunt as well.
Incidentally, Nkwocha is the only player to have won four gongs of Africa Female Footballer of The Year consecutively, but Oshoala already has three to her name over four years, while Oparanozie is yet to get one.
However, away from the gala night back to the filed of play, and, while the Falcons have conceded only one goal in the 2018 tournament, in the opening group match lost to South Africa, they have netted 10 so far.
Oshoala’s hat trick in the 6-0 trouncing of Equatorial Guinea makes her the second player, after Nkwocha, to score three goals in a single match in more than one edition of AWCON.
Dramatically, just like Nkwocha, Oshoala is also one of two players to have done so in consecutive tournaments, as the China-based attacker enacted same feat at Cameroon 2016
Similarly, Oparanozie, who scored Nigeria’s first goal against Zambia, has hit target in four different AWCON tournaments, and only Nkwocha (who scored in six tournaments, has more goals in more editions to her name.
Incidentally, after beating Nigeria in their opening match, South Africa remain unbeaten after their three group games for the first time in sixteen years and only the third time ever.
The previous times they did were in 2000 and 2002, but they added two other records this time out, as they conceded a single goal and booked their first ever ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup as well.