Oshoala seals Nigeria’s upset win over co-host Australia on the Women’s World Cup

BRISBANE, Australia — Asisat Oshoala needed to watch from Nigeria’s bench for an hour, determined to get into the motion, earlier than getting an opportunity to unleash all her pent up power in opposition to co-host Australia on the Women’s World Cup.

The Barcelona striker entered the sport within the 63rd minute and Nigeria took the lead two minutes later for the primary time, 2-1. Within 9 minutes, Oshoala scored a objective that sealed an upset victory, sparked her jersey-shedding celebration and left Australia in a must-win situation for World Cup survival.

After dropping 3-2, an Australian squad coping with accidents to striker Sam Kerr and understudy Mary Fowler must beat Olympic champion Canada in Melbourne on Monday to manage its personal destiny for a spot within the spherical of 16.

Nigeria and Canada opened with a 0-0 draw and each groups now have 4 factors. Australia has three from its opening 1-0 win over Ireland. Nigeria subsequent faces winless Ireland, which is making its debut within the match.

Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum stated he benched Oshoala at first of the sport to handle her long-term harm, however all the time meant to ship her on when it was most wanted.

“She’s such a force physically,” Waldrum stated. “She can create problems – the third goal was massive. When we talked about her role – she’s like any player, she wants to be on all the time – I said ‘I just have a feeling, come on for the last 30 minutes and make a difference.’”

PHOTOS: Oshoala seals Nigeria’s upset win over co-host Australia on the Women’s World Cup

What a sense.

The pivotal second in opposition to the injury-plagued Australians was within the 72nd minute when Oshoala swooped on a defensive mixup and beat three Matildas to the ball, sneaking a right-foot contained in the close to put up from a good angle.

She peeled off her jersey and sprinted to the fitting nook to have fun scoring in three consecutive World Cups, getting a yellow card within the course of.

“I’m so proud of these players. So many people didn’t believe,” Waldrum stated. “Didn’t consider in me, within the workforce.

“I told them after the match, keep believing.”

That’s one thing the Australians want now.

“This was a massive opportunity that we let slide,” Steph Catley, who’s main the Matildas within the absence of Kerr, stated in her post-match TV interview. “We created a number of alternatives that we couldn’t end. We weren’t affected person sufficient, and we weren’t scientific.

“(Nigeria) was great on the counter and they finished their chances,” Catley added. “We’ve just got to move on as quickly as possible – on to Canada now. This is what World Cups are all about.”

After controlling a lot of the sport, Australia was surprised by the two-goal burst from Nigeria.

Australia went into the sport with 10 wins in its earlier 11 worldwide matches, together with an away win over European champion England, and had seven clear sheets of their earlier 9 video games.

They had extra pictures on objective (28-10) and extra heading in the right direction (8-5) however missed the scientific end of its world-class strikers and was not often in a position to breach Nigeria’s disciplined protection.

Australia dominated possession all through the primary half and had 10 pictures on objective to 1, nevertheless it was tied 1-1 at halftime after the groups traded objectives in stoppage time.

Emily van Egmond scored the opener for Australia and Uchenna Kanu equalized seconds earlier than halftime when she tapped in a floating, deflected cross from to the blue-haired Rasheedat Ajibade.

Oshoala changed Kanu in a double swap for the Nigerian assault swung the momentum of the sport.

Nigeria scored from a nook with three gamers heading the ball in sequence, beginning with Michelle Alozie and going recalled midfielder Ajibade, who angled it throughout for veteran Uchiobe Ohale beside the put up.

Ohale nodded it in and took the brunt of Alanna Kennedy’s tried clearance kick concurrently.

The Australians threw all the pieces into assault in entrance of a parochial 49,156 crowd however solely managed to tug one objective again with Kennedy’s header deep in added time.

The Matildas have generated unprecedented publicity for girls’s soccer in Australia and have been extensively anticipated to succeed in the knockout rounds. Now coach Tony Gustavsson has to show round an upset shortly.