Six-time CAF Women’s Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala was substituted just before half-time during Nigeria’s 6-2 WAFCON win over Egypt on Wednesday, but coach Justine Madugu has explained that the decision was tactical and not due to injury, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Oshoala gave Nigeria the lead from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after winning the spot-kick herself, but her involvement surprisingly ended before the break.
She has now scored twice at the tournament, following her lone goal in Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Zambia in their second group game.
“Actually, it was not much of an injury, but we felt the energy level was dropping a little. We planned to play with a high intensity, and we felt the energy level had dropped a little, allowing the Egyptians to settle at the back.
“We didn’t want them to settle so much at the back, and it was not really working the way we had expected. That forced the change that we made,” Madugu explained during the post-match interview.
Oshoala has won four WAFCON titles with Nigeria — in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2024 — since breaking into the national team in 2014.
She has also scored at every edition she has played in except the 2022 tournament, when she was ruled out after picking up an injury in Nigeria’s opening game against South Africa.
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The Banyana Banyana went on to win the tournament in Morocco that year.
As Nigeria chase a record-extending 11th WAFCON title, the Al-Hilal forward had earlier assured that the team knew what was at stake despite their shaky start to the tournament.
“It’s still a long competition, so there is still a lot of time to prepare for the next game,” she told journalists after the first match against Malawi.
“We need their support right now. A World Cup ticket is at stake, and this is the time we need everyone to support the team. We know the Super Eagles didn’t qualify, so we know what’s at stake and we know how Nigerians feel about this.”
The 31-year-old will hope to return to the line-up on Sunday when Nigeria face Cameroon in the quarter-final.
Nigeria will first aim to advance to the semi-finals and secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup before continuing their quest for a record-extending 11th WAFCON title.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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Source: The Punch
