- Canada and Nigeria tied 0-0 in Group B of the World Cup in Melbourne.
- Canadian star Sinclair takes a penalty kick, but it is blocked by Nigerian goalkeeper Nadozi.
- Australia continues to lead this group (1-0 against Ireland on Thursday).
And even 10 minutes of stoppage time did not help: the Olympic champions from Canada simply could not deliver the ball to the Nigerian goal.
An example of this is Christine Sinclair’s penalty kick after 50 minutes: the 40-year-old chose the corner kick carefully, but didn’t fire it hard enough that even the goalkeeper, 17 years her junior, was able to save it. The ball is in the Super Falcons’ goal. Sinclair has missed (for the time being) becoming the first player to score a goal in six World Cup finals.
Nigeria attacking player Francisca Ordega stepped on Sinclair’s foot inside the penalty area; After studying the video images, referee Lena Lehtovara awarded a penalty kick. This was the best chance for the Canadiens, who (also) often relied on a high-ball style of attack.
Nigeria with a smart game plan
However, it was difficult to play against a Nigerian team with a solid defence. Between the 20th minute and the whistle at the end of the first half, the team that has won the African Cup 11 times showed that it has great attacking potential. Nigeria had several good scoring chances, often after quick transition play.
Despite winning the point, the match had a bad ending for Nigeria: midfielder Deborah Abiodun was sent off after consulting the VAR in stoppage time.
And this is how it continues
In the second round, Canada will face the bottom team, Ireland, next Wednesday. The next day Nigeria competes against leader Australia.
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