Nigeria Thrash Namibia 10-1

Nigeria's female senior football team, the Super Falcons, yesterday at the main bowl of the National Stadium in Abuja, qualified for the 2008 African Women's Championship (AWC) finals.

The championship is to be hosted by Equatorial Guinea in November this year.

Playing in front of about 4,000 soccer fans, the Nigerian girls mauled their visiting Namibian counterparts, Brave Gladiators, 10-1, in a match that the visitors were no match for the homers.

The Namibians arrived in Abuja with a three goals deficit which they collected in the first leg played a fortnight ago in Windhoek in the encounter where traffic was a one-way thing. The Super Falcons were leading 5-0 at half-time. By the end of proceedings, former African Player of the Year, Perpetua Nwocha, got a hat-trick.

Reigning African player of the Year, Cynthia Uwak, grabbed a brace while the duo of Ifeanyi Chikwelu and Effio-anwan Ekpo also netted twice. Captain Kikelomo Ajayi completed the routing of the Southern African side.

Bonnith Eixas, in goal for the Namibian tried her best, but her peers could do little to shield her from the lethal attack of the Nigerian side.

Upfront, the lack of height, experience and general unenterprising nature of the Namibian attackers also worsened their case. Their mild effort was, however, rewarded with a penalty midway into the second half.

The penalty award and the resultant goal attracted applause from the sparse crowd at the multi-billion Naira stadium.

Speaking shortly after the encounter, head coach of the Namibian side, Jarquesline Gerskei said that she was not disappointed by the result, because her players were in a learning process and must have

learnt a few tricks from the Super Falcons, who are reigning African football queens.

Meanwhile the Falcons will face the Black Queens of Ghana in a crucial second leg qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Olympic soccer event. The match will take place at the Abuja National Stadium. The Guardian