The Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, could not help but celebrate keeping another clean sheet and qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League the following season.
The 24-year-old was forced off in the 79th minute after a heavy challenge from Ivorian forward Inès Konan and was replaced by French shot-stopper Inès Marques following several minutes of on-field treatment.
The French club are yet to provide an update on the goalkeeper’s fitness.
Amid the worry, the two-time CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of The Year took to X to celebrate her performance as well as the club’s, perhaps allaying the fears the collision might have generated.
“Three points, clean sheet, Champions League qualification, league playoff, I give God all the glory,” the goalkeeper wrote after the game.
Before the injury, Nnadozie had continued her excellent form in France, notching her 18th league appearance of the season and securing an impressive 11th clean sheet.
Paris FC had already put the result beyond doubt before her substitution, with goals from Clara Matéo (2), Kaja Korošec, and Kessya Bussy ensuring their 13th win of the campaign.
The victory keeps Paris FC in the hunt for more silverware, with a Coupe de France Féminine final against Paris Saint-Germain scheduled for May 3 at the Stade de l’Epopée in Calais. The club will be hoping for a swift recovery for their first-choice keeper, who will be desperate not to miss the high-stakes derby.
Until the club reveals the extent of the injury, Nnadozie’s injury casts a doubt on her availability for Nigeria’s participation at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
With the WAFCON tournament set to begin on July 5, head coach Justin Madugu is now facing an uneasy wait as medical assessments determine whether one of his most influential players will be fit in time.
Nnadozie’s presence between the sticks has been crucial to Nigeria’s hopes of reclaiming the continental crown they last won in 2018.
The Super Falcons have been drawn in Group B at WAFCON, where they will face Tunisia, Algeria, and Botswana.
With defending champions South Africa also in the mix, Nigeria’s path to redemption following their 2022 title loss is far from straightforward.
