Falcons overpower Ethiopia
by Humphrey Njoku 02 November 2012, 08:25
Nigeria's Super Falcons on Thursday won their second game at the African Women's Championship (AWC) defeating Ethiopia 3-0.
Esther Sunday, Stella Mbachu and Perpetua Nkwocha got the goals for Kadiri Ikhana's team.
Inside ten minutes of the start, Sunday controlled a cross but could only scoop the ball over the keeper and the bar.
It was all one-way traffic in the first 20 minutes for Nigeria as Onyinyechi Ohadugha sprinted off on the left side of attack before squaring the ball into the path of Emejue Ogbiagbevha who turned and shot wide at a glance.
On 24 minutes, Mbachu sped down the right channel, crossed the ball into Ogbiagbevha's path and her effort at close range was superbly kept out by the Ethiopian goalkeeper.
Three minutes before the half hour, Sunday opened score for Nigeria's Super Falcons to take the lead after good work by Ohadugha who provided the assist.
Ethiopia surprisingly had a good spell of their own by keeping possession of the ball and controlling the middle of the park until the break.
The restart witnessed the East Africans bossing the game but fell short of the quality to punish Nigeria in the final third.
It took the Falcons 19 minutes in the second half to score a second goal. Mbachu calmly controlled the ball with her chest on the edge of the box from a long pass before blasting the ball over the keeper to make it 2-0 for the defending champions.
Two minutes later, 2011 African Women's Player of the Year, Nkwocha was played through on goal and she rounded the keeper before tapping into an empty goal for her second of the tournament.
Nigeria then took charge of the game and centre referee, Maximina Bernado had enough time to erroneously overrule two of the Falcons' goals late on for offside.
Ngozi Okobi came close to making it four-nil in added time after making light work of the Ethiopian defence but instead elected to shoot straight at the opponent's goalkeeper rather than pick a spot.
The game ended 3-0 as the Falcons close in on a 100 percent in the group stage with Cote d'Ivoire next up the card this weekend.
