With Friday's 0-0 draw against Canada in Melbourne, Nigeria's 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup campaign got off to a promising start.
Group B's Super Falcons overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to upset the team that was heavily predicted to win the match.
Despite being down a player after a penalty was called against them, the West Africans were able to come back and win the match despite playing the final minutes with only 10 players when Deborah Abiodun was sent off. This means Nigeria's record versus Canada at the Fifa World Cup remains undefeated.
Even though there was more action in the second half, neither team created any true nail-biters aside from the penalty save.
After Abiodun was sent off for a vicious tackle on Ashley Lawrence in stoppage time, the Africans were already down a (wo)man. Referee Lina Lehtovaara of Finland reviewed the incident on VAR and changed Abiodun's yellow card to a red.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, the goalkeeper for Nigeria, made a save that was vital to saving a point for her team.
At a crucial juncture in the competition, she stepped in to defend her squad. The Nigerian defense was led by a strong captain performance from the Paris FC stopper.
Nnadozie made a penalty save, making it a rough day for Canada's captain Christine Sinclair. She was awarded the spot kick when it was determined that Francisca Ordega had fouled her within the penalty area.
The penalty was given after a VAR review by Lina Lehtovaara. Sinclair,40, might have set a record as the oldest player to score in a women's World Cup game.
On Thursday, the Super Falcons will face the tournament's co-hosts, who will provide another opportunity to demonstrate the team's mettle.
