SUPER Falcons of Nigeria goalkeeper and captain Chiamaka Nnadozie has declared that the team will not be intimidated when they face England in the round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brisbane, Australia on Monday.
England are not just ranked 36 places above Nigeria by FIFA (No.4 to No.40), they are also European champions and won all their group games at this World Cup, including a 6-1 thrashing of fallen giants China.
Victory for the Super Falcons would be their first ever in the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup, and Nnadozie believes it is possible.
“They are the European champions and we just have to try our best to make Nigeria proud again,” the 22-year-old told The Guardian of England in an interview published today.
“We are expecting nothing but a difficult game, to be sincere with you. But we believe in ourselves. We are Nigerians and we will come out strong. I think we have everything it takes [to get to the quarter-finals] and to go beyond that.”
Nnadozie, who was the youngest ever goalkeeper to keep a Women’s World Cup clean sheet when she stopped Korea from scoring as an 18-year-old in 2019, played a pivotal role in getting the Super Falcons to the round of 16 in Australia.
She saved a late penalty by the legendary Christine Sinclair as Nigeria held Olympic champions Canada to a 0-0 draw in their opening Group B match.
By the end of the group phase, Nigeria finished in second place, edging out Canada by one point to advance to the round of 16.
“When the referee went to the VAR screen, I said: ‘Oh my God, it’s a penalty’ … I then said to myself: ‘OK, this is a big day, I just have to try my best, to do the nation proud,’” Nnadozie added in the interview with The Guardian.
“When I saw that it was [Christine] Sinclair that was going to take the penalty, I was a bit scared, because she is one of the best players in the world. But I braced myself and said: ‘Let’s do this.’ And I saved the penalty.
“I was beating my chest, after saving the penalty, because I had kept hope alive. If we had lost that game, I think we would have been on our way back to Nigeria. That day is one of the best moments of my life.”
Nnadozie also narrated how, as a young player back in Owerri, Imo State, she converted from an outfield player to a goalkeeper, a switch she has come to be grateful for.
“I didn’t start in football as a goalkeeper but as a striker … We were having a practice match against the boys, against an under-15 team and we just had only one goalkeeper,” she added to The Guardian.
“We were losing 13-2. And the goalkeeper was so tired. I decided to go in goal, to help her.
“We just had two minutes of that game to play, and I made a very good save. After the game, the coach asked me to remain in the team as the goalkeeper.”
Nnadozie, one of the world’s top women’s football goalkeepers, is currently with Paris FC and has made 21 appearances for the Super Falcons.
