Int'l Friendly: Super Falcons suffer double injury blow against Canada
The Nigeria national women's team, the Super Falcons suffered a double blow in the first of their two friendly games against the Canadian women’s soccer team.
Two Nigerian players were taken off the field on stretchers. Ebi Onome left the game in the 59th minute and Grace Kanu in the 80th minute as the Canadian women’s soccer team celebrated their Olympic championship with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria in a friendly match on Friday (early Saturday in Nigeria).
Jessie Flemming opened the scoring in the 51st minute and Vanessa Gilles padded the home side’s lead with a goal in the 72nd.
Veteran Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe was perfect through the final 45 minutes of her soccer career.
She was replaced just after half by Kailen Sheridan, who preserved the clean sheet.
Canada played in red jerseys with each player’s name and number emblazoned on the back in gold, a nod to the medal the team won at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
The Canadians are currently ranked sixth in the world and Nigeria sits at No. 39.
Jordyn Huitema got a head on the ball, sending it in to Gilles, who headed it in past Nigerian ‘keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Sheridan made her biggest stop of the night in the 68th minute, diving to send a blast from Oyedupe Payne just wide of the post.
Deanne Rose set up the first goal of the game, sending the ball to Flemming at the top of the six-yard box in the 51st minute. Flemming took a sharp-angle shot that went high over the shoulder of goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi.
Oluehi was replaced in net by Nnadozie in the 70th minute after appearing to suffer an injury.
The second half started with an emotional moment as Sheridan replaced Labbe in goal.
The elder ‘keeper saluted the standing, cheering crowd — including an entire section of her friends and family — before hugging her replacement on the sideline.
Tears ran down Labbe’s face as she hugged head coach Bev Priestman, the rest of the Canadian training staff and her teammates on the sideline.
The 35-year-old native of Stony Plain, Alta., announced her retirement in January and has already played her final game for her professional team, Paris-Saint Germain.
The home side controlled the majority of the action across the first half but Labbe was pressed into action in the 28th minute.
Rasheedat Ajibade broke through the Canadian defence and sent a rocket flying from the top of the box but Labbe dove to make a fingertip save and keep the score knotted at 0-0.
Canada had a prime chance in the 19th minute when Beckie sent a cross into Sinclair in the box. The captain went for a header and sent a shot into Oluehi’s midsection from just outside the six-yard box.
Sinclair was honoured in a pre-game ceremony for breaking the international goal scoring record when she recorded her 185th back in January 2019.
Aside from losing the game, two Nigerian players were taken off the field on stretchers.
Ebi Onome who was 'controversially' named as the new captain after Asisat Oshoala was stripped of the band left the game in the 59th minute and Grace Kanu in the 80th minute.
