Nigeria Wins African Women’s Cup Of Nations For 8th Time

Nigeria’s female football team has won the African Women’s Cup Of Nations for the 8th time, making them the most successful in the history of the competition.

The Super Falcons defeated hosts Cameroon 1-0 at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on Saturday to successfully defend the title.

Late Oparanozie strike hands Nigeria eighth title

Falcons forward Desire Oparanozie scored the winner with barely five minutes, breaking Cameroonian hearts hoping to revenge their 2-0 loss to Nigeria in the final two years ago in Namibia.

Image result for Desire Oparanozie awcon 2016
Desire Oparanozie

 

The victory came despite waves of pressure from the hosts who were looking to win their first African title. The opening exchanges were all about the Cameroonians who attacked relentlessly.

Gabrielle Onguene carved out the first chance of the game when she skipped past three Nigerian players before shooting wide from inside the box.

Nigeria’s best chance in the opening minutes fell to Vittsjo GIK midfielder Ngozi Okobi, who could only fire over on the turn.

Onguene’s pace continued to trouble the Nigerian backline but the Lionness could not make their early attacking play count.

With less than 15 minutes to the break Cameroon had a glorious chance when Madeleine Ngono Mani was left with just Nigeria shot-stopper Jonathan Alaba to beat. The Nigerian goalkeeper did enough to tip away Mani’s attempt before Onome Ebi cleared.

The African champions began the restart on the backfoot as Onguene, Deborah Gaelle Enganamouit, Mani and others kept pressing play.

Mani came close to scoring twice. First she struck a free kick inches over and then followed up another fine attempt at goal, forcing Jonathan to make a timely save to keep the game scoreless.

Inside the final quarter of an hour in regulation time, Enganamouit then took a pop at Nigeria’s goal, but Jonathan looked untroubled as she kept her cool to gather the ball.

Seven minutes from time, Onguene was played through on goal but she could only squeeze in a tame shot from a rather difficult angle without troubling Jonathan.

Within a minute and out of the blue, Oparanozie dragged the ball past her marker inside the box and then calmly fired it low and left-footed beyond an outstretched Annette Ngo Ndom in Cameroon’s goal.

That was one of the few times the Falcons attacked their hosts in the second half but it bore fruit, leading to the record eight title.