Nigeria's Super Falcons displayed resilience and tactical discipline as they held Portugal to a goalless draw in an international friendly match at the Estadio Jose Gomes in Lisbon on Monday night.
The encounter, which served as part of Nigeria's preparations for the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), saw both teams create several scoring opportunities but ultimately failing to find the back of the net.
First Half Highlights
The match began with both sides cautiously probing each other's defenses. Around the 30-minute mark, the game opened up significantly with Nigeria's goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie making two crucial saves to deny the Portuguese attackers.
Nigeria's forward line, spearheaded by the energetic duo of Francisca Ordega and captain Rasheedat Ajibade, created problems for the Portuguese defense with their pace and movement. Rinsola Babajide had a promising opportunity before halftime but failed to hit the target from a favorable position.
Second Half Chances
Just two minutes after the restart, Everton winger Toni Payne squandered a golden opportunity to put Nigeria ahead. After receiving an excellent pass from Ajibade, Payne disappointingly fired wide from inside the box.
Portugal responded by taking control of the game, forcing Nnadozie into another brilliant save to maintain the deadlock.
Around the hour mark, Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu made three strategic substitutions, bringing on Ifeoma Onumonu, Ashleigh Plumptre, and Halimat Ayinde for Babajide, Miracle Usani, and Jennifer Echegini respectively.
The changes injected fresh energy into the Nigerian side. Ordega came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock when her effort struck the upright with just 10 minutes remaining. Five minutes later, substitute Onumonu narrowly failed to convert Ordega's cross into what would have been the winning goal.
Looking Ahead
The Super Falcons will continue their WAFCON preparation with another friendly match against the Black Queens of Ghana on Friday. This series of friendlies forms a crucial part of Nigeria's build-up to the continental championship.
The draw against Portugal, currently ranked among the top teams in Europe, will boost the confidence of the Nigerian squad as they fine-tune their tactics and team cohesion ahead of the tournament.
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