Players and officials of nine-time African champions Nigeria have started arriving in the city of Angers, France from Wednesday morning, ahead of Saturday’s much-anticipated international friendly game between the Super Falcons and the Les Bleues.

It is the second time both teams will engage in a friendly encounter – the first being a forgettable experience for the Falcons as they lost by eight goals in freezing weather inside Le Mans’ Stade Marie-Marvingt on 6^th April 2018.

Only goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who plays her club football in France, and Mexico- based defender Osinachi Ohale, remain from that squad that was undone by, among other things, a hat-trick from Valérie Gauvin and an own goal by defender Faith Ikidi-Michael. The defeat equalled the Falcons’ biggest-ever defeats – by Norway at the 1995 FIFA World Cup finals in Sweden and by Germany in a friendly in Leverkusen’s Bay Arena on 25^th November 2010.

However, clashes at the FIFA World Cup finals have been much closer, with the Falcons losing by the odd goal against the Les Bleues in Germany in 2011, and by the same margin at the Roazhon Park when both sides clashed at the 2019 finals hosted by France.

The consummation of Saturday’s encounter is further confirmation of the Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led administration’s commitment to fully blood a new Super Falcons’ squad, by implementing a process of exposure and experience-garnering for the new squad, following an under-par outing at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France this summer.

The big game with the Les Bleues comes up only five weeks after the first of two friendly matches with Algeria’s Green Ladies in Nigeria (2-0 and 4-1 wins), and eight days after the Super Falcons learnt they would be playing Tunisia, Algeria and Botswana in the group phase at the 13^th Women AFCON in Morocco next summer.

Saturday’s match will commence at 9.30pm France time, same time as in Nigeria.

SUPER FALCONS FOR LES BLEUES CHALLENGE:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies, Saudi Arabia); Rofiat Imuran (London City Lioness, England); Sikiratu Isah (Nasarawa Amazons); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey)

Midfielders: Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France); Toni Payne (Everton Ladies, England); Josephine Mathias (Nasarawa Amazons); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Shukurat Oladipo (FC Robo Queens); Adoo Yina (Nasarawa Amazons)

Forwards: Blessing Nkor (Pyramids FC, Egypt); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa (Spain); Ifeoma Onumonu (Montpellier FC, France); Omorinsola Babajide (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa (Spain); Mercy Omokwo (Bayelsa Queens)

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons are set for an encounter with France’s Les Bleues in a friendly match on 30 November at the Stade Raymond Kopa in Angers. It will commence at 9.30pm local time.

 It will be the fourth time both teams will be meeting following three encounters in Germany in the 2011 Women’s World Cup and that of 2019 in France as well as a friendly match in 2018.  

 In those three matches, the Nigerian side lost without scoring a goal.

While the losses in the Women’s World Cup matches were respectable, 1-0 defeats, the friendly match of 6 April 2018 was scandalous, an 8-0 loss that brought aggregate losses to 10-0.

But the friendly match in view may present a different ball game as the initial ageing Super Falcons is now being rebuilt.

Fresh from a two-match friendly duel with the Green Ladies of Algeria in Nigeria, nine-time African champions Super Falcons are expected to build on the gains of the two friendly matches as they work towards regaining their African title next year in Morocco.

 The rebuilding process has incorporated a good number of home-based professionals giving great promise to the squad being coached by Justine Madugu.

While the friendly match serves as part of Nigeria’s build up to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next year, France will be using it for their preparations for the League of Nations in the spring and the 2025 UEFA Euro Women’s Championship in Switzerland.

It is only the seventh time in their history that the Les Bleues will play in the city of Angers.

Past Encounters

26 Jun 2011:  Nigeria  0-1 France    Women’s World Cup 

6 April 2018: France 8-0 Nigeria     Friendly match    

17 Jun 2019:  Nigeria  0-1 France      Women’s World Cup      

Former Somalia captain Iqra Ismail said she has spoken with the Football Association (FA) and is ready to resume playing while wearing tracksuit bottoms after she was barred from a match for not wearing shorts.

Ismail said in an Instagram video earlier this week that she had been playing in the Greater London Women’s Football League (GLWFL) for five years wearing tracksuit bottoms but was not allowed to come on as a substitute on Sunday for United Dragons.

On Wednesday, the FA said women players across its competitions are allowed to wear clothing that follows their religious beliefs.

“I have been in contact with senior members of the FA and Middlesex County FA, they’ve been really supportive and are actively working to make sure nothing like this happens again,” the 24-year-old, who captained Somalia in 2019, said in a video posted to X on Thursday.

“And I am pleased to say, as of this weekend, I will be back on the pitch playing football in my tracksuit bottoms.”

The GLWFL said this week it was their understanding that players were required to wear shorts on top of clothing that covered their legs, but had since been informed it was not so and had passed along the guidance to their match officials.

-Reuters