By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
After suffering a two nil defeat in the hands of host Canada on Friday night at BC Place Arena in Vancouver, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will try to redeem what remain of their image when both teams meet again in the second encounter of the two-match international friendlies at Langford ‘s Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island.
The match which will be played by 7:30 pm local time (3:30 am Tuesday in Nigeria), will see Super Falcons Head Coach Randy Waldrum tweaking his line up, with Russia-based winger Francisca Ordega expected to start from the right side of the Nigerian side.
Her fast pace will be needed to stretch Canada’s backline to allow attackers Uchenna Kanu and Ifeoma Onumonu get some shots on Canada’s goalpost.
Apart from Ordega who arrived late to take part in the first match which Nigeria lost 2-0, Waldrum will still field the same players who prosecuted the Friday match except those who were injured did not recover fully.
It means Nigeria will parade Chiamaka Nnadozie in goal with skipper Onome Ebi anchoring a backline comprising Akudo Ogbonna, Ashleigh Plumptre, Toni Payne and Nicole Payne.
The midfield will feature Rita Chikwelu, Rasheedat Ajibade and Christy Ucheibe while Onumonu and Kanu or Ordega will play in the attack.
However, the Super Falcons are still short of playing personnel as the likes of Esther Okoronkwo, Osinachi Ohale, Halimat Ayinde, Ngozi Okobi and Glory Ogbonna did not make it to Vancouver due to one reason or another.
This is why it will not be a big surprise should Canada beats Nigeria again in the second match even as the Head Coach of Canada Women’s National Team (WNT), Beverley Priestman has been complaining that his players failed to score more goals against the Super Falcons in the first game.
However, the win over Nigeria last Friday night was the second time Canada will beat Nigeria in history. In three all-time previous meetings against the 39th-ranked Nigerians, Canada had one win, one loss and one draw.
The win came in the most recent meeting, a 2-1 victory in a friendly three years ago on April 8, 2019 in Mucia, Spain. The Super Falcons took a 1-0 lead before goals by Janine Beckie and Sophie Schmidt secured the win for Canada.
But the only Canada loss came during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup as Nigeria beat the Canadians 1-0 in the finale of the group stage, sealing Canada’s early exit from the tournament.
The very first international match between both countries was far back in June 1995, FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B last match which ended in a 3-3 draw with late Coach Paul Ebiye Hamilton led Super Falcons almost beating Canada at Olympic stadium in Helsingburg, Sweden.
The United States- born Waldrum will like to outwit his Canada opposite number in the second match as Nigerians are expecting the reigning African Champions to show class or at least grind out a draw to show for the huge investments in the team by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) courtesy of the Nigeria government.
