Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Friday defeated the Lady Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire 2-0, with debutant Ifeoma Onumonu scoring twice to give her team a good head start in the pairing.
The win was in the first leg match of their final round fixture in the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifiers.
In the match played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria’s persistence saw them opening scoring in the 21st minute.
That was when Esther Okoronkwo set up Onumonu inside the penalty box to fire the Super Falcons in front from close range
Falcons’ captain, Assisat Oshoala, did not feature in the match.
A brace by US –based forward Ifeoma Onumonu took the Falcons above the visitors in the two-match fixture, the winner of which will proceed to the finals in Morocco, at which Africa’s flagbearers at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup will emerge.
Petite and impressive winger Koko Ange N’Guessan came close to opening the scores after only three minutes when she came face to face with Chiamaka Nnadozie from a flowing move, but the France –based Nigeria number one thwarted with her right leg.
The lanky Onumonu, winning her first cap for Nigeria, thought she had got the first goal 12 minutes into the game when she scooped past goalkeeper Cynthia Djohore after being set up by Rasheedat Ajibade, but Burkinabe referee Jacqueline Nikiema insisted she had blown for an infringement in favour of the Nigerian playmaker.
Nine minutes later, Onumonu, who plays for Gotham FC in New York, was again in the right place to finish in splendid manner after the ball rolled to her from a goalmouth melee.
N’Guessan, Estelle Nahi, Christine Yeble and Amenah Kacou struck some good tunes in the midfield and attack for the Elephants, but Captain Onome Ebi and the impressive Ashleigh Plumptre, also winning her first cap, foiled their onsluaghts.
