Nine-time African champions, the Super Falcons, have arrived in Angers, France, ahead of their much-anticipated international friendly against Les Bleues of France on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Nigerian contingent landed on Wednesday morning, gearing up for their second-ever friendly match with the French national team.
The first meeting between the two sides in April 2018 ended in a painful 8-0 defeat for the Super Falcons at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans. That defeat, featuring a hat-trick from Valérie Gauvin and an own goal by Faith Ikidi-Michael, tied Nigeria’s record for their heaviest defeats, alongside defeats to Norway at the 1995 FIFA World Cup and Germany in a 2010 friendly.
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However, the Super Falcons have proven more competitive in World Cup encounters against France, narrowly losing by a single goal in their 2011 clash in Germany and the 2019 group-stage meeting at Roazhon Park in Rennes.
This high-profile clash comes just five weeks after the Super Falcons secured back-to-back victories against Algeria’s Green Ladies (2-0 and 4-1) in Nigeria. It also follows the recent AFCON draw, where Nigeria was grouped with Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana for next summer’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Kick-off for Saturday’s match is set for 9:30 p.m. local time, which is the same as Nigerian time, as the Super Falcons aim to test their mettle against a top European side.
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