International Friendly: Le Bleues edge impressive Super Falcons 2-1 in Angers

Posted : 02 December 2024

France’s Les Bleues won 2-1 against Nigeria's Super Falcons in a hard-fought international friendly match played under frosty and misty weather in Angers on Saturday night.

The nine-time African champions started with some promise at the Stade Raymond Kopa, determined to take the game to the hosts. However, at the other end, Marie-Antoinette Katoto had the ball in the net in the 7th minute, only for the goal to be correctly ruled offside.

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Eugenie Claudine Le Sommer, playing her 197th match for Les Bleues, scored her 94th international goal in the 29th minute to put the host nation ahead.

Eight minutes later, it was 2-0 after Tunisia-born Amel Majri got the ball past goalkeeper and stand-in captain Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The high point of the game, however, came when Nigeria scored her first-ever goal against Les Bleues. From a corner kick to the hosts in added time of the first half, a long clearance from the back found Spain-based Gift Monday, who quickly passed the ball to Montpellier FC forward Ifeoma Onumonu, allowing her to make history.

Without captain and key player Rasheedat Ajibade and defender Oluwatosin Demehin, who were absent due to injuries, it was always going to be an uphill task for the Falcons to earn their first-ever win over the hosts. Nevertheless, they fought hard in an exciting second half.

Nnadozie was alert to save a shot from Delphine Cascarino just after the restart, and as the game progressed, Majri saw her 20-yard free-kick soar well over Nnadozie’s goalpost.

With 10 minutes remaining, Nigeria broke forward, and from a corner kick, defender Sikiratu Isah came close with a volley that had goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin stretching at full strength to tip the ball behind the goalpost.

Five minutes later, Christy Ucheibe failed to direct the ball properly from a cross from the right and watched as it sailed over the bar.

In the 86th minute, Nnadozie saved another point-blank effort, and the rebound was scrambled back to the goalkeeper by the hard-working Sikiratu Isah.

Though defeated, the Super Falcons were far from disgraced, and the game might have been different if Ajibade and Demehin had been involved.

International Friendly: Le Bleues edge impressive Super Falcons 2-1 in Angers

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