“QUEEN SCORPIONS” SURPRISES MANY DESPITE DEFEAT TO HEAVY-WEIGHTS NIGERIA

The crowd at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, The Gambia were left astonished with Gambia’s female team one nil lost to the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

Gambia National Female Team

It was not down to the fact of the defeat but, the manner in which it came. The physically Nigerians who are the “super powers” of African female football with high exposure and experience only managed a solitary 1 – 0 win over the inexperience and generally undersized Queen Scorpions (Gambia national female team).

Many supporters across the globe had anticipated the Super Falcons who are the most consistent African female side at both continental and international level, as they made seven consecutive appearance at the World cup since 1991, three Olympic appearance, two all Africa Games and ten African Women’s Championship titles to their name, to inflict a humiliating defeat on Gambia who are appearing for the first time in Africa Women Cup of Nation qualifiers.

However, at full-time many were left amuse including the Nigerians who went into the dressing room of Gambia to hand out cash to the players as a way of congratulating them for showing continuous persistence throughout the game.

The arena was quarterly occupied by supporters who are mostly home fans; the Nigerians supporters in their little section were fewer than thirty people. Ironically they dominate the stands with continuous noise, anytime they roared it appears as if the entire spectators were shouting for the Nigeria which for certain makes the visitors looked comfortable and feel as if they were playing home.

Overall it was the Nigerians who dominate the game with quality football. They made several threatening moves into the home side half, most of which were extinguished except for Amarachi Okonkoro’s rocket launcher on the 18th minutes of the first half.

The diminutive midfielder’s 30yard rebound whizzed past Aminat Gaye and into the top roof after Gambia defense headed out Halimatou Ayinde’s cross from the right.

From that moment on Nigeria could have add further goals but Gambia’s keeper Gaye prevented them from so doing as she saved several possible goals.

Gambia’s moments of near equalizers came when the visitors defense reacted quick to close down and intercept Adama Tamba at the edge of the box who initially beat them in a quick solo attack and Penda Bah’s far range save by keeper Tochukwu Oluehi.

The first leg goes the Super Falcons way, any result other that a win for the Queen Scorpions in the return leg on 11th June 2018 in Calaba, Nigeria will see Nigeria through to African Women Cup of Nation (AWCON) later this year in Ghana.