“She had a lot of pressure, people expect a lot from you.”Expectation has long followed the Nigerian team. They have won 11 of the 14 Women’s African Cup of Nations since the tournament was formalised in 1998. At the World Cup, the side has reached the quarter-finals, but it was only once, and it came 24 years ago. Photograph: Darren England/EPAIn Brisbane they were already missing promising midfielder Deborah Abiodun after her red card in the first match. Between rounds of the ward after the match, he managed to text that the night made him “proud to be a Nigerian-Australian”.

Source: The Guardian July 28, 2023 18:35 UTC