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Edo Queens FC basked in the euphoria of their striker Ijamilusi Folashade’s top-draw performance on her debut outing with the Super Falcons, which she capped with a hat-trick in their 5-1 friendly victory against Algeria at Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday.
The CAF Women’s Champions League participants followed her exploit on the pitch and were left over the moon by her brace before coming off with a third.
“A queen and more! Edo Queens’ sensation, Ijamilusi Folashade, dazzles on her senior debut with two international goals in just eight minutes against Algeria. Folashade takes us 2-0 up, scoreline now 3-1—who’s counting?” read a tweet by the Benin-City club.
Shortly after the tie that completed the two-legged fixture, Ijamilusi shares the instruction the team’s captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, gave to her that aided her hattrick. “She told me they’d go after her, so I should use the opportunity,” the overjoyed player said on her first hat-trick for the Super Falcons.
Ijamilusi, the former junior international, opened scoring for Nigeria after 12 minutes, scoring from a corner kick, and doubled the lead nine minutes later after latching onto a second ball following Blessing Ilivieda’s effort that cannoned off the crossbar.
Undaunted, the Algerians, who lost the first leg 2-0 in Ikenne, stepped up another gear and could have reduced the tally in the 39th minute when Nigeria conceded a penalty kick. But Lina Boussaha missed the spot.
However, Ouassila Alouache ghosted past the Nigerian defence in the 43rd minute to slot past Unachukwu for the Algerians’ only goal of the two-match tour.
Determined to retain their two-goal lead, the Super Falcons increased the pressure on their visitors, and Gift Monday netted the third with a powerful header in added time of the first period.
An entertaining second half produced only one goal, with Ijamilusi assuring her hat-trick with minutes left in the second half.
