The Super Falcons of Nigeria advanced to the knockout stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup after playing to a goalless draw against Ireland on Monday.
The Super Falcons secured their place in the knockout stage after co-hosts Australia beat Canada 4-0.
However, Randy Waldrum team were unable to break down a resilient Irish defence, and the match ended in a stalemate.
Despite the draw, the Super Falcons were happy to progress to the knockout stage, where they will face the first-placed team from Group D.
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The Super Falcons were the dominant team for much of the match, but they were unable to create enough clear-cut chances.
Asisat Oshoala had the best opportunity of the first half, but her shot went wide of the post.
Toni Payne was the heartbeat of the Super Falcons’ midfield, dictating the tempo of the game and creating chances for her teammates.
Ireland had a few chances of their own, but they were unable to find the back of the net. The closest they came was in the second half, when Stephanie Roche’s shot was saved by Tochukwu Oluehi.
Katie McCabe, the Arsenal women was Ireland’s best player on the pitch gave Nigeria a lot of problems.
She also scored the Republic’s first World Cup goal and the fastest goal of the tournament so far against Canada on Wednesday when her superb corner flew into the net after just four minutes.
In the end, the match ended in a draw, but the Super Falcons were still able to secure their place in the knockout stage.
They will now be looking to build on their performance in the Round of 16 and make a deep run in the tournament.
What’s next?
The Super Falcons will play their first knockout stage match against the winner of Group D on 7 August 2023, at 08:30 am.
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