TheCable

Asisat Oshoala was on the scoresheet as Super Falcons of Nigeria defeated Haiti 2-1 in their first game in the preparatory tourney ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

The Randy Waldrum-led team was effective in dispatching their Caribbean counterparts at the Emir Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey, on Friday.

The victory was the Falcons’ second consecutive win after ending their seven-match winless run in the previous game against Costa Rica.

Esther Okoronkwo gave the Nigerians the lead in the 40th minute with a curled-in free kick from the byline that tickled in between the legs of the Haitian goalkeeper.

📽️ Powerful Strike! 🔥

That 40th minute individually superbly taken goalscoring effort from Esther Okoronkwo

HT' 1-0 in Antalya 📍

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Oshoala doubled Nigeria’s lead in the second half with a tap-in off a pinball situation from a corner kick.

The goal was the striker’s first for the Falcons since February 2021 against Equatorial Guinea.

Haiti, however, pulled a goal back in the 75th minute and piled pressure on the Nigerians for the final 15 minutes of the match.

The Falcons held on for a deserved victory. The team will take on World Cup co-hosts New Zealand on Tuesday.

The friendlies are meant to prepare the players for the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July.