6 Major Talking Points From Super Falcons’ Defeat To France

Nine-time African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, lost 2-1 to France in a keenly contested friendly at the Stade Raymond Kopa, Angers, last weekend — their fourth defeat to Les Bleues.

The Super Falcons put up a resolute display in the encounter despite the disappointing loss, carving out a number of scoring chances.

Completesports.com’s ADEBOYE AMOSU highlights the major talking points from the game…

Chiamaka Nnadozie’s Heroics

The Paris FC shot-stopper was truly at her best in the thrilling encounter. The 23-year-old made a number of crucial saves to keep the scoreline more respectable.

Nnadozie denied Delphine Cascarino after the break with a brave effort. She also made a double save four minutes from time.

New Girls Showed Promise

The game was an opportunity for the likes of Gift Monday, Blessing Nkor, and Sikiratu Isah to show they have what it takes to excel at this level.

Defender Isah was particularly impressive, coming close to scoring in the second half and making a last-ditch clearance late in the game.

Tenerife’s Monday set up Ifeoma Onumonu for the Super Falcons’ only goal of the game.

Former Yanga Princesses star Nkor also impressed on her debut for the nine-time African champions.

Imuran Struggled at Left-Back

The London City Lionesses star was deployed at left-back in the game following the absence of Oluwatosin Demehin due to injury.

Elegant defender Ashleigh Plumptre played the position under former head coach Randy Waldrum but was moved to centre-back following Demehin’s absence.

Imuran struggled against the French, with the opponents targeting her position. The two goals conceded by the Super Falcons also came from the left-back area.

Attacking Struggles Continue

The Super Falcons were without a number of regular forwards in the game, and their absence was felt.

The team struggled to put away chances at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and faced a similar problem against Les Bleues.

Perhaps the presence of players like Asisat Oshoala and Rasheedat Ajibade would have made a difference for Nigeria.

Midfield Struggles

The trio of Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne, and Jennifer Echegini were deployed in midfield, and they struggled to hold their own against the hosts.

They were bypassed easily by the French for most of the game, which put pressure on the defence.

The three players were unable to retain possession for much of the game and also lacked creativity.

Strong Resilience

A whitewash was expected after the Super Falcons conceded two goals and fell under persistent pressure, but they held their own and reduced the deficit late in the first half.

They also stood up to the challenge of their opponents in the second half, making the scoreline more respectable.