By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist
Bang Bang Girl….Two goals heroine Uchenna Kanu (No.6) celebrating a goal with her teammates in earlier match.
Expectedly, defending champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria zoomed into the quarter-final of the on-going 12th Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in after thrashing hapless Burundi 4-0 in the last group match played at Complexe Moulay Hassan in Rabat on Sunday night.
Three first half goals and the fourth goal in the second half ensured that Nigeria got all three points at stake to finish in the second place in Group C with six points after two victories over Botswana and Burundi respectively.
The 9-time African champions started the match against Burundi like a house on fire and after an early period of dominance, the Nigerians took the lead, thanks to enterprising Rasheedat Ajibade’s 25th minute goal from a well struck spot kick.
Super Falcons
The Atletico Madrid midfielder was hacked down inside the box by Burundi goalkeeper Janine Irakoze, who got a yellow card for the offence. Ajibade neatly slotted the ball home to the delight of scanty Nigerian fans inside the stadium in Rabat. It was the former FC Robo star second goal of the competition.
Nigeria’s onslaught was too much for Burundi firstchoice goalie Irakoze and
the result from the clash with a Nigerian player was an injured hand which made her to be substituted for 16-year-old Amissa Inarunkundo.
The newly introduced goalkeeper was yet to settle down when she conceded two quick goals no thanks to lackadaisical defending from her back line as ex-youth international, Peace Efih, who was making her debut appearance in the competition slotting in from close range.
Two minutes later Mexico-based forward Uchenna Kanu netted the third in the 28th minute following a brilliant cross from Ajibade.
Nigeria was three goals up at half time and less than one minute on resumption, Kanu made it four goals to put the outcome of the tie beyond doubt. The performance of Efih and Kanu who scored a brace vindicated this reporter who called for the inclusion of the younger players in the Super Falcons line up in the game against Burundi.
Next Rivals…Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon
But Randy Waldrum-tutored team could have scored half a dozen goals if they had taken the many chances they created in the match even as the Burundians were no match to the Super Falcons on the night.
The result means that Nigeria will face arch-rivals, Cameroon in the quarter final round with both teams having to meet many times in the previous editions of the competition dating back in the 1990s.
In the second Group C match on Sunday, South Africa who beat Botswana 1-0, finished in the first position and will now face Tunisia in the quarter final round.
Winners of the four quarter final matches will book their places in next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand.
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