Chiamaka Nnadozie is the new poster-girl of the Super Falcons.
And from July, the Super Falcons goalkeeper will be playing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which incidentally has been her base for the past four years as she is the No 1 of top French club Paris FC.
On a wet night in Pretoria Tuesday, Nnadozie, 23, was again one of the major reasons Nigeria are again flying high at full international level.
Defensive solidity personified by the former Rivers Angels goalkeeper ensured the Super Falcons shut out their spirited hosts to qualify for the Olympics since 2008.
Nnadozie again posted her A-game, pulling off at least five top saves to stop the ever-threatening Thembi Kgatlana and frustrate the South African attack.
The Paris FC goal tender also showed good distribution for her fifth straight clean sheet for the Falcons.
In Abuja last week, she made two big saves to stop the South Africans in their tracks.
GOD IS THE GREATEST. THANKFUL FOR THE OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION . NEVER STOP DREAMING, NEVER STOP BELIEVING, NEVER GIVE UP 🇳🇬🦅 pic.twitter.com/iw899P8WwC
— Nnadozie chiamaka (@Nadoziechiamaka) April 10, 2024
Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum attributed qualification to the team’s defensive organisation.
“The goalkeeper was outstanding and Nigeria defended resolutely,” a disappointed Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis saluted.
In the previous round of the qualifying tournament for Paris 2024, frustrated Cameroonian players accused the goalkeeper of having juju, black magic, which denied them goals.
One of the Indomitable Lionesses players even attempted to run right into Nnadozie’s goal in the belief that this would neutralise her black magic.
In December, Nnadozie was voted CAF Goalkeeper of the Year for 2023 after five-star displays for the Falcons at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as well as inspiring her club to qualify for the first time to the group stage of the UEFA Champions Women’s League.
Then fans even took to social media to canvas for Nnadozie to be drafted to the Super Eagles to end the goalkeeping crisis that had bedeviled the men’s team before the recent AFCON.
A sparkling outing at the Olympics in very familiar surroundings will extend her reign as Africa’s No 1 goalkeeper.
With additional reports Aboluwade God’s Treasure AGT
This picture should be a bill board across the length and width of Nigeria. The message? “NEVER STOP DREAMING, NEVER STOP BELIEVING, NEVER GIVE UP 🇳🇬🦅”
Very beautiful, and well crafted piece that makes for enjoyable reading! This is one of the best written articles I have seen in Nigerian sports journalism in a long time. Kudos to the writer, and the editor. 👏