By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja BUREAU
With barely two months to the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in France, participating teams including the host nation France have continued to play pre-tournament international friendly matches.
Earlier on Friday, in far away United States of America, Team USA hammered fellow France- bound country, Australia 5-3 in of their scheduled friendlies prior to the competition proper.
With the match ending 1-1 at half time, the Yankees ran riot in the second stanza by scoring four more goals through Alex Morgan, Tessy Heath, Megan Rapione and Megan Pugh’s brace.
The Aussies scored goals of their own courtesy of Angela Kerr, De Vanna and Kate Foord.
Also, at a sports center in Murcia, Spain, Nigeria’s Super Falcons went goals crazy against a hapless Icelandic clubside, UMF Selfoss and at the end walloped the club 6-1 with the scores at half time standing at 1-1.
Credit of the morale boosting tie will go to the Super Falcons returnees- US-based Courtney Dike who scored a hattrick and Londoner, Ini-Abasi Umotong who scored a brace in the one- sided match. Uchenna Kanu had equalised for Nigeria in the 42″ minute after Reimus Magda of Selfoss had embarrassed the African champions in the 31″ before the meltdown in the second half.
Elsewhere, another African representatives in the global football fiesta, Cameroon got their preparation underway with a 2-1 defeat of to European country, Croatia. The Indomitable Lionesses’ goals came from Marie Ngono-33″ and Henrietta 84″. Cameroon will play their second match in three days time.
Host nation, France continued their build-up by thrashing Asian giants Japan 3-1 with goals from Golden Girl, Eugenie Le Sommer, Gauvin and Dianik just as Japan’s only goal came from Minjiya Kobayashi.
