FWWC: Oshoala explains Falcons shocking penalty shootout against England
Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala says she didn’t have the opportunity to take a penalty during Nigeria’s shootout loss to England in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
England’s Lionesses defeated Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after their round of sixteen tie ended in goalless after extra time.
The European champions faced an early setback as Georgia Stanway missed their opening penalty kick. Despite this, Nigeria had a chance to seize the advantage when Desire Oparanozie and Michelle Alozie followed suit with missed penalties.
These misses put the African team at a disadvantage that proved difficult to recover from.
The absence of Super Falcons star forward Asisat Oshoala during the penalty shootout sparked confusion and speculation. Oshoala, a five-time African Player of the Year, was notably absent from the spot-kick lineup. This led to accusations of her not stepping up when her team needed her the most.
In a conversation with sportsville.ng upon the team’s return from Australia, the Barcelona star shed light on her absence during the penalty shootout. Oshoala explained that the order of penalty takers was a collective decision among the players.
“We actually just shared ourselves through,” she disclosed as the team arrived in Lagos. “One of our best penalty takers, that’s Desire Oparanozie, she went first, Rash Ajibade went third, and I was going to take the last one, so we just shared it between ourselves like that.”
Reflecting on the Effort
Despite the disappointment of the round of sixteen exit, Oshoala emphasized the team’s dedication and performance. She acknowledged that while they didn’t achieve the desired outcome, they gave their all on the pitch.
“At the end of the day, anyone can miss a penalty. It’s a penalty, sometimes it’s luck. You might play 20 and score 20 one day, then the next day you play 30 and you miss all.”
Amid the mixed emotions surrounding the outcome, the Super Falcons’ impressive performance in Australia garnered praise. Oshoala, a former Arsenal forward, expressed optimism about the team’s potential for the future.
“It’s important we keep this team together because it’s not going to be easy to build another team,” she asserted. “It took us years to build this team, and if we can keep this team together in good condition, and everyone takes responsibility for their actions, I feel like it will take us a long way
