Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie endured a painful afternoon at Wembley as Brighton & Hove Albion were beaten 4-0 by Manchester City in the Women's FA Cup final, Soccernet.ng reports.
However, despite the heavy defeat to the WSL champions, the Nigeria international still managed to avoid a piece of unwanted history.
Nnadozie arrived at the final hoping to win the first major trophy of her career in English football after joining Brighton from Paris FC last summer. Instead, she found herself under relentless pressure from a Manchester City side determined to complete a historic domestic double.
The scoreline was heavy, but it could have been even worse for Brighton without the 25-year-old's interventions. Nnadozie produced several important saves throughout the contest to keep City's tally at four goals. Had she conceded one more, she would have become the first goalkeeper in two decades to let in five goals in a Women's FA Cup final.
That statistic will offer only limited comfort to the Nigerian international, who experienced another unwanted first. Since moving to England, Nnadozie had never conceded four goals in a single match. Before Sunday's final, the most she had allowed in a game was three, which happened against West Ham United and Manchester United during the Women's Super League season.
The final result also overshadowed what had been an impressive debut campaign in England. Nnadozie kept six clean sheets in 19 league appearances and added two more shutouts during Brighton's run to Wembley. Her performances were crucial as the Seagulls eliminated Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Arsenal to reach the club's first major cup final.
Brighton actually began the match brightly and looked capable of causing an upset. Fran Kirby found pockets of space around City's penalty area, Kiko Seike repeatedly threatened down the right flank and Maisie Symonds impressed in midfield. However, Dario Vidosic's side failed to make their early pressure count.
Nnadozie down as Manchester City show class at Wembley
While Brighton struggled to convert their chances, Manchester City punished almost every mistake.
The breakthrough arrived in the 38th minute when Jamaica striker Khadija Shaw rose above Nnadozie to guide a looping header into the net. It was a cruel blow for Brighton after a promising start.
City doubled their advantage just before half-time. Captain Alex Greenwood stepped up to take a free-kick from around 20 yards and curled a precise effort beyond Nnadozie's reach to make it 2-0.
That goal effectively shifted the momentum permanently in City's favour.
Manager Andree Jeglertz's side, already crowned Women's Super League champions three weeks ago, demonstrated the ruthless edge that has defined their season. Shaw continued to influence proceedings and later provided the assist for substitute Aoba Fujino, who struck City's third goal midway through the second half.
There was still time for another blow to Brighton. Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema, returning after missing the closing stages of the season for personal reasons, came off the bench to score City's fourth and final goal.
The victory secured Manchester City's fourth Women's FA Cup crown and completed a first-ever domestic double. It also capped a remarkable debut season for Jeglertz, who took charge after City had missed out on Champions League football last year.
