VIDEO: Canada Force Super Falcons To A 2-2 Draw In Victoria B.C

Canada came back twice to force the Super Falcons of Nigeria to a 2-2 draw in the second match of the doubleheader in Victoria B.C on Tuesday morning, Megasportsarena.com reports. 

Ifeoma Onumonu stunned the Canadian women and the partisan crowd in the fifth minute with a back-heel goal to give Nigeria a 1-0 lead and the Falcons held on until the end of the first half. Canada pressed for the equalizer with several close calls, including Beckie rattling a shot off the post.

Canadian captain Christine Sinclair, a national sporting legend who received the largest ovation in the pre-game gold-medal introduction, received another when she started the second half. 

She brought the house down when she chipped in the 1-1 tying goal at 49 minutes for her world-leading career 189th international goal in her 309th cap for Canada, after a defensive mixup between Onome Ebi and goalkeeper Cynthia Nnadozie. 

But Nigeria ladies kept the celebratory mood short by retaking the lead at 2-1 through a ball by Rasheedat Ajibade that found its way in from a long way out and from a strange angle at 53 minutes. 

Christine Sinclair left-footed a shot off the cross bar in the 64th minute followed closely by another shot off the bar by Zadorsky off a corner kick. After Zadorsky tied the game late, Sinclair just missed scoring the potential winner in what was a riveting affair for a friendly.

The Canada team was clearly buoyed the crowd.

The B.C. portion of the tour began Friday with Canada blanking 11-time African champion Nigeria 2-0 before more than 20,000 fans at B.C. Place. 

The friendly matches were put together to prepare the Super Falcons for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco July this year.

The B.C. fixtures are serving a practical purpose, as well for Canada. 

Canada is preparing for the eight-nation 2022 CONCACAF Championship from July 4-18 in Monterrey, Mexico, which serves as the qualification route for both the 2023 FIFA World Cup in ­Australia and New Zealand and the 2024 Paris Olympics.