FIFA Women’s World Cup: Five key takeaways from Nigeria’s 0-0 draw against Ireland

The Super Falcons put up a solid performance against the weeping girls of Group B, but it was not enough

The Super Falcons of Nigeria qualified for the Round of 16 of the 2023 World Cup after a 0-0 draw against Ireland in the final game of Group B.

It was another strong performance from the nine-time African champions, but they just fell short in the end as they were unable to take the plethora of chances that they created.

Soccernet looks at some of the key points to note from the game.

Nigeria can keep possession

In their previous two matches, the Super Falcons were on the back foot for most parts. However, against Ireland, Randy Waldrum proved they could hold onto possession. The Super Falcons had longer spells on the ball, and they had 40 percent possession which was the highest they registered in the competition this year.

Alozie has to do better with her ball usage

Alozie saw a lot of the ball on the right, but she was not effective enough, especially in the first half.

She got better in the second half, and she started showing her pace, ruggedness, and skill. There was a clear change because Nigeria started creating more opportunities and playing better.
If she had played better from the start, Nigeria could have scored.

Ajibade is more productive from the left

Ajibade had a decent game, but she could have been better. She started the game from the right, but she did not have a meaningful impact in the final third. However, after she moved to the left, she got better and began to look more dangerous.

In the last game against Australia, she was menacing from the left, and she showed glimpses of that again.

Waldrum has to find a way to get Oshoala more involved

With Oshoala’s quality, she has to get more involved with the play. The Barcelona star is blessed with speed and agility, but she has not used that enough at the World Cup yet. She had two good chances in the game, but she bottled. Asides from that, she did not have any other significant impact.

Oshoala is Nigeria’s best player, and if they will achieve anything at the World Cup, the 29-year-old forward would have to play an important role.

Nnadozie has to be consistent

Nnadozie was superb in Nigeria’s first two games, but she was not exactly reassuring against Ireland. She made some errors that could have cost the team, but Ireland failed to capitalize.

Nigeria’s opponents in the next round would likely be England, so she has to be at her best for the Super Falcons even to have a chance.