Former Super Falcons captain Desire Oparanozie has said she is satisfied with Nigeria’s 3-0 victory over Tunisia in their opening game of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
However, she requested the need for improved finishing, sharper midfield control, and better team coordination as the competition progresses.
The Falcons kicked off their campaign with a convincing performance in the Group B fixture.
The nine-time champions created several chances and dominated the North African side, but were wasteful in front of goal and occasionally disjointed in midfield transitions.
“Convincing win, but more to do” – Oparanozie
Oparanozie told reporters and analysts that the scoreline could have been far more emphatic had the team been more clinical in front of goal:
“Apart from the three goals they scored, they could have done better. They had more chances, more opportunities to score more goals.”
The 30-year-old, who represented Nigeria at four FIFA Women’s World Cups and won four WAFCON titles, believes the current squad has great potential but needs to improve certain aspects of their play to go all the way.
Abiodun’s Midfield Struggles and Key Substitution
Oparanozie commented on Deborah Abiodun’s performance in the first half as an area of concern.
The 20-year-old midfielder, who plays for the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S., was booked in the opening 20 minutes and struggled to impose herself on the game.
“I also think Abiodun struggled in the first half. She struggled to really control the midfield and in a bid to actually have that dominance in that midfield, she got a yellow card, which got me worried at some point.”
“I was quite very afraid that she might get a second yellow card.”
Oparanozie, however, commended interim head coach Justin Madugu for acting swiftly and wisely:
“It was a very good decision for Justin to have taken her out when he did.”
Despite the team’s overall superiority, Oparanozie was critical of Nigeria’s transitional play, saying there was a lack of fluency and cohesion between the lines, especially when the team was without the ball.
“In the first half, the transitions were really quite not very fluid. It wasn’t fluid enough.”
She noted the disjointed nature of the pressing game, pointing out that some players were left isolated in their efforts to recover the ball high up the pitch.
“When we don’t have the ball, when the scuffer cones don’t have the ball, a couple of times I saw Oshoala chasing the ball up in the opponent’s goal area, which I didn’t really see the team do that ball recovery approach as a unit.”
Oparanozie insisted that recovering possession as a collective is vital if the Falcons are to control games more effectively and avoid exposing themselves to counter-attacks.
“I think going forward, Nigeria should work more on that, try to recover the ball as a unit together.”
Encouraging Signs & Trust in Improvement
While pointing out the flaws, Oparanozie also assured Nigerians that there were plenty of positives to take from the match. She believes the team will grow into the tournament and improve with each game.
She praised the coaching crew for making critical changes during the match and lauded the decision-making process on the touchline as a key reason for the comfortable win.
“It was a convincing win over their North African opponent. The team dominated the game and created lots of chances, but failed to convert as many chances as they created.”
Algeria Next
The Super Falcons will now face Algeria in their second group game, a side known for their pace and quick transitions.
Oparanozie urged the team to sharpen their finishing, maintain team shape, and press as a unit in Thursday’s encounter. Though now retired from international football, Oparanozie remains one of the most respected voices in Nigerian women’s football.
Nigeria are eyeing a record-extending 10th WAFCON title, and as things stand, a win over Algeria would all but confirm Nigeria’s passage into the quarter-finals.
