Nigeria’s Super Falcons thrashed Algeria 4-1 in their second friendly at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena Onikan, Lagos on Tuesday.
Justine Madugu’s side defeated the Green Ladies 4-1 in their first friendly last week Saturday with captain Rasheedat Ajibade scoring both goals.
Folashade Ijamilusi however grabbed the headlines for the nine-time African in the game by scoring a hat-trick.
The Edo Queens striker doubled the hosts advantage seven minutes later.
Algeria missed the chance to reduce the deficit from the penalty spot in the 39th minute.
Alouache Ouassila however pulled a goal back for the Green Ladies two minutes before the break.
Tenerife forward Gift Monday struck on the dot of 45 minutes to hand Nigeria a two -goal advantage going into the break.
Ijamilusi makes the scoreline more emphatic by scoring the fourth four minutes from time.
By Adeboye Amosu
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now
13 Comments
The NFF did the right thing by engaging our girls this time around instead of being idle. I, also, think it was a good idea trying out the local players to see those that can fit into the main team. The only thing I find odd was the comment by the coach after the first match. He said the team is rebuilding, and I asked myself rebuilding what?
The Super Falcons is already a team progressing in the right direction, except there is something going on which the fans are not aware of. We should be thinking of maintaining and improving the team. The NFF should get a sound coach who should improve on what Randy Waldrum has done with the girls. It will be stupid and disastrous to dump the team now and began a new phase. Well, I hope the coach was speaking for himself and not the NFF.
Ijamulisu doesn’t play like a home-based footballer,how a quality player like that still in the home league beats my imagination!Another quality player is Chioma Olise and another a midfielder can’t remember her name,she wore jersey in twenties figures these three were phenomenal.
Though I saw just the last twenty five minutes but enough to rate the trio for their immense impact towards falcons victory…
Will your college coach give the girl from Jakande estate a chance to come score Hatttick on her international debut from Edo Queens? I’m just asking because egungu is still crying from the exit of Randy and I know it will concern you. I’m just looking for trouble it’s a beautiful day here!
It’s wild @Chima that you’re so determined to downplay what Randy Waldrum has done with the Super Falcons. He might not be flawless, but he’s certainly not the disaster you keep trying to paint him as.
This guy took over a team that was barely holding it together after Dennerby left, and he’s managed to bring some much-needed stability and progress. So, cut him some slack, alright?
Let’s break it down: Waldrum inherited a mess. We went from barely scraping by to putting on a respectable World Cup performance, the best in 24 years and qualifying us for the Olympics, first time in 12 years we would achieve that. That feat took actual tactical skill, not luck, to attain. Without him, my guy, we’d have been roasted by South Africa that Olympic Qualifier and likely humiliated at the World Cup as usual. But you seem determined to ignore all that, as if the NFF’s constant meddling, lack of support, and failure to secure friendlies right before the World Cup had no effect on the team’s progress. And remember, Dennerby didn’t just leave— the guy bolted. The work environment the NFF created drove him away, the same one that had Waldrum on the verge of tears before the World Cup because of the lack of basic resources.
It’s a joke to act like Waldrum hasn’t made a difference. He’s gotten results despite the NFF’s chaos, not because of it. So, if you’re going to critique, at least give credit where it’s due. You can criticize Waldrum all you want, but the truth is, he’s given the Super Falcons more structure than they’ve had in years, even if that seems inconvenient for your narrative.
In a few moments time you’ll see why Magudu is miles ahead of Waldrum. The Falcons was to backwards with their passes and had no fearsome factor despite the arrays of stars in the team. Waldrum does not understand what we needed from the team because he lacks the class to coach our team. I am not a fan of park the bus and will never be!
Bri
Bro, Megudu’s yet to face a truly tough opponent or championship pressure. Algeria, Ethiopia, and Liberia aren’t exactly the highest benchmarks, so the real test of his tactical smarts is still to come. Sure, he’s got potential, but until he’s matched against a top-tier, organized team, it’s fair to reserve full judgment.
Also, it’s a bit soon to throw Waldrum under the bus in favor of Megudu. Waldrum did bring a level of defensive stability that’s been harder to spot with Megudu, whose games tend to be more open at the back. So yes, while it’s exciting to see what Megudu is bringing to the Falcons, his coaching will need to prove itself under the same pressures that come with international tournaments.
For now, we’ll keep the fingers crossed and watch how he evolves with this team. There’s promise, but he still has a ways to go before he’s the tactical savior some fans hope for.
That is why I said time will expose all we have to know and I don’t fear anything because I know he will deliver, judging by his performance anytime he tinkers the team. I’m also going crazy for the girl from Jakande estate. Her awareness is on another level and we need strikers like this to take numerous chances the falcons is known to not scoring.
Thank you, Bro, for that important observation. Ijamilusi’s case is just one example of the immense talent brewing quietly in the Nigerian women’s league, largely ignored because of poor coverage and support. It’s a shame it took so long for her to get noticed, but thankfully, this national team invitation is a step in the right direction. And yes, Edo Queens heading into CAF competition might just be the break she needs—if the scouts are paying attention! She’s definitely got that Mercy Akide spirit, a style of play that brings back memories of a time when local talent was something to be proud of.
The whole “home-based vs. foreign-based” debate? Honestly, it’s a non-issue when it comes to our women’s teams. If the NFF actually paid attention, they’d see how incredibly gifted the local players are. These girls don’t just have raw talent; they’ve got grit, determination, and a love for the game that doesn’t come from fat contracts abroad. Remember those two-edged friendlies we played in the mid-2000s? We had one team in Nigeria, fully composed of local-based players led by one Igbinjionu and another away, largely stacked with foreign stars. Guess what? Both teams won their games, proving that a full squad of home-based players could hold their own just fine. And let’s not forget the late Ismaila Mabo’s all-local squad that took us to the 1999 World Cup quarterfinals in the U.S.—no foreign help needed!
Take Monday Gift’s performance at the last AFCON. Limited playing time, and yet she almost handed us victory against Morocco with that stunning lob that just missed. Imagine what she could’ve done with consistent support and exposure. But instead, the NFF keeps pouring resources into the Super Falcons while ignoring the grassroots talent that could make the team self-sufficient.
If the NFF stopped playing lip service to women’s football, we wouldn’t have to chase down every Nigerian playing abroad or hold out for players born overseas to build a strong national team. Our girls here have everything it takes, and then some—they just need a little bit of the attention the NFF seems determined to withhold.
Its a long time super Falcons wallop even the smallest teams. The last time they played this Algerian team they struggled. Im happy for the change in Coach and Tactics which is already yielding results.
Ride on coache you’re here to better every record set by the park bus regime. I believe this camping experience has given the coach the needed opportunity to see those he will need to add up to our roster to create a formidable SF team. This will also serve as vital exposure to some players who might not make the next cut, but give them an hint of what the competition is all about and comeback to fight for a spot. Honourable mention to Gift Monday who last scored for Nigeria 3 years ago or so.
Congrants to the girls and SF fans. I hope this marks the beginnings of an attacking era similar to what the Superfalcons were known for? All due respect to Waldrum . I loved his passion and dedication but to be honest his pattern only helped to take us a few steps backward and allowed other African countries to catch up with us. U cant be defending even against small countries like Cameroon and south Africa. when last did the SF win 4;1. Im happy for the resurgence of our attacking flair. Oshoala will florish now
I have to walk back my pre-match comments of referring to these friendly matches against Algeria as “low-grade” and “low-quality”. Such a statement does disservice to the opposition and show lack of gratitude to those involved in putting the friendlies together.
So, I apologise to the NFF and the much respected Algerian national women’s team.
As for the games, I felt it offered valuable exposure to fringe players of the Super Falcons, many of whom tried hard to impress with variable levels of success.
If we can defeat an up-and-coming passionate Algerian team by handsome margins with our 3rd string Super Falcons, then it augurs well for the strength of our team and how far we can potentially go in the Women’s Afcon next year.
That said, I still feel it is unforgivable not to have included a single dual nationality player in the squad. It sends the wrong message in my humble opinion and perhaps suggests dual nationality players will be after-thoughts under this new coach.
In the second game particularly, after Algeria had had a feel of Madugu’s Super Falcons, they were able to carve out credible scoring opportunities. I think the 4:1 score line flattered Nigeria to be honest. We were not neat up front with Gift Monday lacking conviction on occasions; Esther Oyenedize was at times sloppy in midfield and the defense showed signs of being porous and communication did break down a bit, with experienced Demehin caught out on one occassion.
Randy Waldrum once said that it is good to face decent or average oppositions in order to try new players and produce feel good factors after victories. To be honest, i thoroughly enjoyed the feel-good factor produced by the 2 wins and the chance to try new players. But the outcome hides the brutal reality that the Super Falcons are still not technically grounded enough to truly make a dent on the global stage.
In Africa, i think our approach and standard will take us far. But on a global stage, it will not wash! There were far too many rough edges identified in those games against Algeria for me to be fully convinced and but into what Madugu is doing.
That said, and as a counter-argument to my own argument, many of those players only played together for the Super Falcons for the first time. So I guess I have to cut them some slack. These Super Falcons “rough diamonds” should become smooth with repeat exposure to international football and mixing the truly precocious ones out of them with key members of the main squad in games to come.
All in all, well done to all concerned. The friendly window wasn’t wasted and we witnessed players who can step up to the main Super Falcons squad soon enough. The wins should enhance our status in Fifa rankings and boost the confidence of the players going into the next fixture.
@Adebayo Amosu – are you sir, sure that you’re well? Abi na which kind comment be this? –
“Justine Madugu’s side defeated the Green Ladies 4-1 in their first friendly last week Saturday with captain Rasheedat Ajibade scoring both goals.” PMSL
You dey smoke igbo ne? or na the “juice” dey too strong? Las las why yo nor go fit proof read things before you publish na? Haba guy, try to do better na! mtcheew!
Anyway, yes the new coach is doing very well and hopefully, this will be the last time we see the likes of Oshoala (short 1) in our team abegi o! hmmm