By

Eniola Olatunji

The bench on Monday at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium pushed the Falconets of Nigeria to the 13th All African Games Women’s final as two super subs (substitutes) gave the 2-0 drubbing of the Uganda Babes in the first semifinal clash.

Adaobi Okah scored 74th minute and Chiamaka Okuochukwu put the icing on the cake at 89th minute to ensure an advantage of a Gold medal victory encore to the Nigerian ladies as defending Champions that refused to draw a match or lose any in the Ghana games. 

The Chris Danjuma coached girls had seized the Moroccan ladies 2-0 and tutored the Senegalese counterparts 4-0 while Egypt ran from shame via a withdrawal before the Ghana games.

It was not a stroll in the park for Falconets who were meeting the Ugandan girls for the first time as Nigeria got 4-1 shots on target with 8-8 off target; for the Ugdan girls had 91-88 attacks though Nigeria got 57 – 48 dangerous attacks and Nigeria had the match under grips with 51 – 49 ball possession. So close.

I could not lay hands of the football records of the Ugandan girls but Nigeria and Ghana played 1-1 in this U20 category in the West African Women’s football on 3rd June 2023; Nigeria walloped Togo 6-0 in a friendly on 24th May 2023; slashed Burkina Faso 3-0 on 28th May 2023 also in a friendly.

In some competitive games, Mauritius of all countries hammered the Falconets 3-0 on 7th October 2023 but in the return leg in Nigeria the Falconets dashed them 3-0 and left the game there; earlier on 28th May 2023 Nigeria had beaten Burkina Faso 3-0; Nigeria piped Tanzania 2-1 on 19th November 2023 after both sides played 1-1 in Tanzania; Burundi earned 1-1 at home on 14th January 2024.

In the All Africa Games women football event, only an own goal was recorded. It was scored by Abir Choab of Morocco against Senegal in Group B where Nigeria came tops.

Ghana Queens are about now playing the Senegal girls in the second semifinal at the Cape Coast Stadium.

Nigeria will meet the winner of that match in the prestigious battle for Gold on Thursday 21st March while Uganda will face the loser of that match in the battle for the Bronze medal same day.

The Flying Eagles coached by Ladan Bosso was bundled out of the games after losing two matches at the group stage and Bosso said his boys were brought down in flight for inadequate preparation.