By Albert Akota
President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Pinnick has congratulated the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, following the team’s triumph over Cameroon that returned the African Women Championship trophy to Nigeria.
The Falcons defeated the Lionesses 2-0 in the final at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek with goals from Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala – indisputably the two best players of the competition.
Pinnick was scheduled to travel out of the country on Friday night alongside Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, to watch the final match in Windhoek. He was however, inexplicably, stopped from traveling by some security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In the event, Dr. Danagogo was joined at the State Box of the Sam Nujoma Stadium by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Ambassador Biodun Olorunfemi.
Star girl Asisat Oshoala was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, replicating her feat at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada in the summer. But she was unable to repeat the double, pipped to the Top Scorer’s award by compatriot Desire Oparanozie, who got five goals to her own four. Nigeria’s Francesca Ordega was also named Player of the final match.
The Falcons, alongside the Lionesses of Cameroon and the Les Elephantes of Cote d’Ivoire, who shocked South Africa’s Banyana Banyana1-0 in the third place match, will represent Africa at the 7th FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, 6th June – 5th July, 2015.
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