By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist
Humbled: Super Falcons of Nigeria
Super Falcons’ dwindling fortunes have showed no signs of abating as Mina Tanaka’s two quick second half goals gifted Japan a 2-0 victory over the struggling Nigerian senior women’s football team in an international friendly match in the Japanese city of Kobe early Thursday morning.
The match against Japan which took place at the Noevir Stadium in Kobe served as both country’s preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand.
But like in the previous international matches, the Super Falcons were outplayed and overrun by the former World champions, who dominated the game from the first whistle.
The former African champions will have the firstchoice goalkeeper, Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie to thank as the Falcons’ shot-stopper earlier made a couple of successive saves in the first half of the game to keep the Japanese at bay.
However, Nigeria could have taken a surprise lead late in the first half when a free-kick from England-based defender, Ashleigh Plumptre struck the woodwork but there was no breakthrough for the two teams in the first half.
Not a Laughing Matter: Head Coach Randy Waldrum and his team have not won any away game in a long time.
On resumption, Japan was the brightest of the two sides as the Nadeshiko wrestled back control of the game and stamped their dominance with two quick goals from Tanaka.
Her first goal was in the 65th minute after a freekick was clipped behind the Falcons’ defence line and fast-paced Tanaka had the time and space to calm the ball on her chest before slotting it past Nnadozie’s stretched limbs at the near post.
Tanaka’s second goal came just three minutes later, as she rammed the ball into the net from the spot after an infringement against Nigeria.
The defeat by Japan in Kobe will be Nigeria’s loss in four matches in a row as Super Falcons have not won any of her last seven away matches under the United States-born Head Coach Randy Waldrum.
The team came into the game on the back of a 6-1 aggregate defeat to the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) in a double-header clash in early September.
Nigeria has been on a free-fall since last June as Super Falcons lost thrice at the 2022 African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Morocco to South Africa in the group stage, Morroco in the semi-final and Zambia in the third-place match.
Heavens Call: Stand-in Captain Rasheedat Ajibade could not help Nigeria survive in Japan
It was the second time in the 24 years that Nigeria will go to AWCON and return home empty-handed, a situation which has pushed Nigeria out of the best three women’s football playing nations in Africa at the moment.
The Randy Waldrum-led Nigerian team also lost to Canada and drew one match in Vancouver earlier in the year and the 2-0 defeat by Japan sums up the pitiable state the Super Falcons are currently in.
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