Nigeria’s Super Falcons suffered a huge blow ahead of Monday’s opening Group C game against Banyana Banyana.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will have to do without their first-choice goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, for the tie.
The 21-year-old is suspended after receiving yellow cards in different matches in the qualifiers against Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
That the Paris FC goalie is ranked as the world’s seventh-best female goalkeeper, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics [IFFHS], is a clear testimony of how important she is to the West Africans.
The former Rivers Angels goalkeeper made her Nigeria debut at the Jordan Under 17 Women’s World Cup in 2019, becoming the youngest goalie to keep a clean sheet in a Women’s World Cup.
Nnadozie also helped Nigeria win gold in the African Games in Morocco, saving three spot-kicks in a penalty shootout against Cameroon.
In her absence, the Falcons will likely have an Israel-based shot-stopper, Tochukwu Oluehi, guard the goals while Yewande Balogun provides cover.
Dubbed the ‘final before the final’, the potentially explosive encounter is billed for the Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco.
Debutants, Botswana and Burundi, are the other teams in the group.
