Nigeria’s women’s national team, Super Falcons will be in search of redemption on Sunday, after suffering a 1-0 loss to Jamaica in the first of their three games at the 2021 WNT Summer Series.
Megasportsarena.com reports that Deneisha Blackwood scored the only goal of the game in the 50th minute of the match with a simple side-footed effort after she was left unmarked by a flat-footed Nigerian defence.
Neither side was able to break the deadlock in the first half but arguably the best chance fell to Blackwood who saw her penalty saved by Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Tochukwu Oluehi in the 26th minute.
The Falcons rallied to salvage a draw in the game as substitute Michelle Alozie saw her left-footed screamer come off the crossbar in the closing minutes of the second half.
The Jamaicans were desperate to grab a second of the night with their attack marshaled by forward Olufolashade Adamolekun, whose Nigerian father was a footballer.
One of the Caribbean players intelligently lobbed the ball over the despairing Oluehi but it nestled on top of the goal post.
Spain-based Oluehi saved a penalty in the 26th minute after Glory Ogbonna fouled inside the box, after which the keeper also pulled off a big save later in the game to keep the Falcons in the reckoning.
Similarly, Tony Payne was full of running up front for the African champions, while her younger sister, Nicole, also made her Falcons debut in the game that saw Jamaica’s match winner hit home by Blackwood in the 51st minute to make up for her losing the penalty in the first half.
This was the same loss for the Falcons under new coach Randy Waldrum, who was without as many as eight top stars including captain, Asisat Oshoala, but will seek a better outing when they next take on Portugal.
The Falcons will face Portugal in their second game of the tournament on Sunday night, followed by a meeting with the hosts and world champions, United States of America at Q2 Stadium in Austin on June 17.
