Prior to the match held in Le Mans, the Super Falcons had vowed to put up a fight against the team which is 33 places above them in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings on the 5th spot. The match result, however, seems to suggest that they might have done the exact opposite or maybe perhaps fortune departed them yesterday. What’s true is that the match was a horror show to Nigerian eyes as they fell 8-0 at the hands of the merciless French team. Eugenie Le Sommer opened the scoring 20 minutes into the match followed by Montpellier’s Valerie Gauvin who then took the match ball home after completing her hat-trick in the 78th minute. Diallo, Thiney, and Leger were also on the score sheet together with Faith Ikidi who capped off the horrendous evening by putting the ball in her own net.

The Super Falcons have now equaled their worst defeat in football history, 8-0 against Norway in 1995 and 8-0 against Germany, 15 years later. Swede Coach Thomas Dennerby’s first day on the job will be one he will be anxious to put past him after he had to field an experimental squad due to the absence of key players, in particular, the African Women’s player of the year, Asisat Oshoala who was facing alleged disciplinary issues with her Chinese club.

Nigeria will play the winner of the match between Gambia and Burkina Faso to book a spot at this year’s Women Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ghana from November 17 to the 3rd of December.