When France takes on Nigeria in a women’s football-friendly match this Saturday, it will be the seventh time in their 53-year history that the Les Bleues will play in the city of Angers.

The French women’s national team was first composed in 1971 and played their first match against The Netherlands on April 17, 1971. The French team won the match 4-0.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons on the other hand was first composed in 1991, which is 20 years after the French team’s debut.

Like the French team, the Super Falcons had a four-goal margin win in their first-ever international match as they beat Ghana 5-1 on 16 February 1991.

But while the French team had their first-ever final match in an international competition at the UEFA Women’s Nations League 2024, the Super Falcons have played several final matches, especially at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations which they have won nine times in 10 final matches.

Their first-ever final match was a 2-0 defeat of Ghana in the inaugural CAF Women’s Nations Cup in Abeokuta on 31 October 1998.

As the head-to-head statistics favour France, so also is the current FIFA ranking. While the Super Falcons are currently ranked 10th, the Super Falcons are 36th.  

When the Super Falcons slumped to France in a 8-0 defeat in 2018, it was the joint most woeful they ever suffered having crumbled in a similar vein against Norway at the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup and also to Germany in an international friendly in 2010.

Remo Stars are back at the top of the Nigeria Premier Football League after their 2-0 defeat of fellow Western rivals, Shooting Stars in Ikenne on Wednesday evening.

Their lead is however fragile as they tied on points and goal difference with Rivers United who scrapped a valuable 1-1 draw with Sunshine Stars in Ijebu-Ode.

Remo Stars however climbed up owing to their higher number of won matches.

A goal in each half-assured Remo stars’ return to winning way after three winless matches including a loss at Katsina United last weekend in Katsina.

Sikiru Alimi converted a penalty deep into the stoppage time of the first half for Remo Stars and the Oluyole Warriors were unfortunate to play a man down following a red card to Taiye

Both sides sized each other in the second half with Shooting Stars aiming for an equaliser but the one-man shot of play pegged their forward movements.

But Olamilekan Adedayo returned to scoring form with the second goal in the 67^th minute and put the match beyond the away side.

Former champions, Rivers United, were unfortunate not to have secured the maximum points against host, Sunshine Stars at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu Ode.

The visitors shot into the lead in the 3^rd minute with a goal by Timothy Zachariah but the host equalised in the 61^st minute and retained the 14^th position with 17 points.

 In Enugu, defending champions, Rangers compounded the woes of Lobi stars with a 3-0 nil win at home.

Goals from Frank Uwumiro, Kenneth Igboke and Onyebuchi Ifeanyi assured the hosts, a three-nil in the first half at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium.

While in Lagos, Ikorodu City continues their good runs with a 2-0 win against El Kanemi at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

After a goalless first half, Shola Adelani puts the host in front in the 62^nd minute and Ayomide Cole doubled the lead in the 77^th minute.

The win pushed the ‘Oga Boys’ into 5^th position after steadily navigating their way upward from the initial bottom of the league when the season commenced.

They now have 21 points, just five behind the table-toppers.

 El Kanemi retained their 4^th position on the log.

In Ilorin, Kwara United ended Heartland of Owerri’s unbeaten run with a lone-goal win while Nasarawa United beat Insurance of Benin 2-1.

NPFL RESULTS

Abia Warriors 2-0 Katsina Utd

Akwa Utd 0-0 Plateau Utd

Bayelsa Utd 4-1 Tornadoes

Rangers 3-0 Lobi Stars

Ikorodu City 2-0 El Kanemi

Kwara Utd 1-0 Heartland

Nasarawa 2-1 Insurance

Remo Stars 2-0 Shooting Stars

Sunshine Stars 1-1 River Utd

France has called up three clubmates of Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie for Saturday’s friendly match against Nigeria’s Super Falcons.

The three players feature for Paris FC alongside Nnadozie.

They are Lou Bogaert, a defender; Margaux Le Mouel, a defender; and Clara Mateo, in the attack.  

The trio are part of the 30 players that new coach, Laurent Bonadei has called up.

Bonadei took over from former Super Eagles’ target, Hervé Renard whose contract with the French team ended after Paris 2024.

The match with Nigeria is holding barely a month after Bonadei first match with the French team which ended in a 3-0 win over Jamaica and a 2-1 defeat in Switzerland.

 For the Saturday’s game with Nigeria, the invited players are:

Goalkeepers: Justine Lerond (Montpellier HSC), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus de Turin), Constance Picaud (FC Fleury 91) and Marie-Morgane Sieber (EA Guingamp)

Defenders: Selma Bacha (Olympique Lyonnais), Lou

Bogaert (PARIS FC), Estelle Cascarino (Juventus de Turin), Elisa De Almeida (PARIS SG), Maëlle Lakrar (Real Madrid CF), Jade Le Guilly (Paris SG), Griedge Mbock (PARIS SG)l Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais), Thiniba Samoura (Paris SG), and Alice Sombath (Olympique Lyonnais)

Midfielders: Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea FC), Kenza Dali (Aston Villa FC), Grace Geyoro (Paris SG), Oriane Jean-Francois (Chelsea FC), Sakina Karchaoui (Paris SG), Margaux Le Mouel (Paris FC),  Amel Majri (Olympique Lyonnais) and Sandie Toletti (Real Madrid)

Attackers: Vicki Becho (Olympique Lyonnais),

Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Waves FC), Kadidiatou Diani (Olympique Lyonnais), Naomie Feller (Real Madrid), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris SG), Eugénie Le Sommer (Olympique Lyonnais), Melvine Malard (Manchester United) and Clara Mateo (Paris FC).