Sports

Oparanozie’s Retirement And Falcons’ Legacy

Published

2 years ago

September 15, 2023

The last thing Desire Oparanozie will be remembered for in the Super Falcons is missing a penalty during the shootout against England in the round 16 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
After a gruelling 120 minutes of football, which ended goalless, the Falcons were knocked out on penalties with the former captain sending Nigeria’s first penalty high into the stands after George Stanway had missed the first kick for England.
That miss was an irony, because Oparanozie is renowned as a good penalty taker and that is one of the things it takes to play first in a game of that magnitude. She was brought into the game with just six minutes left to play in extra time, and that also explains her mission on the pitch.
After being out of the team for about two years, what would be her first involvement on the pitch for the Falcons ended in disappointment at the World Cup and it is not surprising it culminated in her retirement.
What is however shocking is that she is quitting football at club and country level at the age of 29.
“To my fans, family, and friends, thank you for the show of love and support over the years. It’s time to take a bow, as I believe there’s no better time than now. I’m officially announcing my retirement from professional football for both club and country,” Oparanozie announced her retirement via her X handle (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
“To every team and coach I have played for, to every mate I’ve played alongside, and to every opponent I have played against, thank you all for being part of this incredible journey. Thank you, football, thank you Nigeria.”
To say Oparanozie was crestfallen after the Falcons ouster from the World Cup is stating the obvious. Even while the Falcons were hailed for their impressive outing, the striker, unlike some of her teammates, was not bold enough to look into the camera during their departure and arrival in Nigeria.
Although she apologised for the penalty miss, whatever happened cannot taint her legacy with the national team. In 36 games for the Super Falcons, she scored 22 goals and won four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles for her country.
Oparanozie began her career for Nigeria at youth level, twice at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010 and 2012, where she scored two and three goals respectively. Nigeria reached the final in 2010, losing 2-0 to hosts Germany in the final and also reached the semi-finals in 2012, where they lost 2-0 to the United States.
Between that period, she had also been invited to the Falcons for the 2010 African Women’s Championship, now known as WAFCON. As a 17-year-old then, Oparanozie had a lot to learn from veteran striker Perpetua Nkwocha, who was the most prolific women’s footballer on the continent then.
At the 2010 tournament, Oparanozie did not hide under the shadows of Nkwocha, scoring her first goal of the tournament in the 3-0 thrashing of Tanzania in the last group game. She also went ahead to score one goal each in the semi-final and the final as Nigeria won its eighth continental title in South Africa.
She missed the 2012 tournament but was back and established in 2014, 2016 and 2018, as the Falcons won the title on the three occasions. She is notable for her crucial goals in the 2014 and 2016 tournaments. She scored a 54th minute goal against South Africa in 2016 to book a final spot for Nigeria and her late goal against Cameroon in the final won the 10th title for Nigeria.
“Desire Oparanozie’s retirement is a huge shock but she’s had a hard time with injuries. One of the best Super Falcons strikers ever. I remember how Cameroonian journalists joked with me in Yaounde in 2017, that she used juju to score the 2016 WAFCON winner. They couldn’t believe it,” journalist Nurudeen Obalola stated on X.
“Thank you for an amazing career. It’s been an honour and a pleasure watching, commenting and analysing your games. That 86th minute winner against Cameroon in the 2016 AWCON remains one of the finest ever by any Nigerian footballer,” another journalist, Babatunde Koiki, remarked.
The striker also played at four Women’s World Cups in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 but didn’t score at any of the tournaments.
Since breaking into the senior women’s team, Oparanozie has been one of the most consistent players for the Falcons and when the transition of a new generation dawned in 2019, she was named the new captain of the team by coach Thomas Dennerby, who praised her for her “discipline and good character.”
But her problem with the national team began with her leadership role in the team. Following the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, in her role as captain, she led calls for equal pay in Nigerian football, citing disparity between the bonuses received by the team’s male counterparts the Super Eagles and the Falcons. The players also protested their unpaid bonuses and allowances.
It led to her ban from the team but the NFF, through its spokesperson Ademola Olajire, denied her dropping had nothing to do with the protest.
“Oparanozie is still part of the team’s plans, and her non-inclusion has nothing to do with that protest in France because she was not the only one involved. I think she will just have to keep working on her game and, if she gets the opportunity, then push for consistent selection.”
The former Falcons captain lashed out at the NFF for saying that she needed to push harder to be selected, when she was dropped for subsequent games.
“Work on my game and push for consistent selection. Those who’ve been without a club for over a year now, how many of their games did they work on over the past year to merit their inclusion?” she said while reacting to Olajire’s comments.
Overlooked for national team duties, Oparanozie was not distracted at club level as she consistently showed the Nigeria Football Federation what they were missing by not inviting her. After leaving Turkey in 2014, she spent six years with Guingamp, scoring 45 times in 106 games, which made fans of the club name a bus-stop after her in Guingamp.
She also played for Dijon between 2020 and 2022, scoring seven times in 25 appearances as well.
Before going abroad, she had stints with Bayelsa Queens and Delta Queens between 2010 and 2012.
She probably could have been on her way out of the national team unceremoniously in 2021. Therefore, returning to the Falcons after two years was no mean feat. It perhaps proves she deserved her place in the team all these while even if she lost the captaincy.
Eventually, it is safe to say she read the room by quitting after the 2023 World Cup, having been injured for most parts of her last appearances for the Falcons, as she only played six minutes in Australia and New Zealand.
Going by the culture of the Falcons and how Oparanozie herself broke into the national team at 17, it is only a matter of time before emerging strikers like Opeyemi Ajakaye and Sebastine Flourish, who recently dazzled at junior levels, break into the Falcons, while the likes of Uchenna Kanu, Gift Monday, Esther Okoronkwo and Raheedat Ajibade can still carry the team for a few more years.

Sports

Forest Embarrass Liverpool At Anfield

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.

Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.

Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.

Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 39 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.

Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.

It means Liverpool, who lie 11th before Saturday’s late fixture, have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.

Forest, meanwhile, are surging away from the relegation zone and are up to 16th.

Sports

Bundesliga: Oliseh Stars As Bayern Rebound To Thrash Freiburg

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Michael Olise scored twice and provided a hat-trick of assists as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from two goals down to thrash Freiburg.

The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.

Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.

Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.

Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for the first time.

England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.

Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.

A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.

Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.

AS FAR Morocco Win African Women’s Champions League (8)

AS FAR held firm to beat debutants ASEC Mimosas 2-1 in the African Women’s Champions League final and become continental champions for the second time.

Hanane Ait El Haj put the Moroccan club ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after Safa Banouk had been tripped by Aboa Yapo.

ASEC Mimosas rallied after the break and Ami Priscal Diallo netted a fine header from Sopie Brou’s cross to drag the Ivory Coast club level 10 minutes into the second half.

But AS FAR were handed a second spot-kick in the closing stages when Noura Diarra committed a rash challenge on Sofia Bouftini.

This time it was Zineb Redouani who stepped up to stroke home in the 85th minute and restore her side’s lead.

Asastasie Gbehi came close to forcing extra time but she poked wide of the post in stoppage time, and the centre-back was sent off after the full-time whistle for dissent.

AS FAR move level with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns as two-time winners of the title, having first lifted the trophy in 2022.

The Rabat-based side will now take on Chinese’s Wuhan Jiangda on 14 December for a place at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup.

The winner of that match will face European champions Arsenal in the semi-finals of the inaugural competition early next year in London.

Sports

Barca Impress On Return To Camp Nou

Published

1 week ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga on Saturday with an emphatic win over 10-man Athletic Club in their first match at the Spotify Camp Nou since May 2023.

Robert Lewandowski scored their first goal back in their iconic home, which had been closed for extensive renovations, in the fourth minute.

Ferran Torres then netted twice in the second half, each assisted by wonderful skill from Lamine Yamal, who was aged just 15 in his only previous Nou Camp appearance.

Fermin Lopez also struck in the 48th minute, while visiting midfielder Oihan Sancet was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez just six minutes later.

Large sections of the Nou Camp remained closed for the game, which was played in front of a 45,157 crowd.

The rebuilding work, which was originally scheduled to be finished in November 2024, will eventually increase the stadium’s capacity to 105,000.

Barca moved to 31 points from 13 games and top on goal difference, but Real Madrid had the chance to replace them, if they won at Elche in their game in hand, late last night.

Poland striker Lewandowski got his side off to the perfect start when he drove his low shot in off the arm of Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon for an eighth league goal of the season.

The home side extended their lead in first-half added time as Yamal’s superb pass off the outside of his foot set up Torres for a good finish.

Lopez made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, drilling a shot past Simon from near the penalty spot.

Sancet’s tackle from behind on Lopez was initially deemed a yellow card, but upgraded to red after the referee consulted with the video assistant referee (VAR).

And just before full-time, Yamal twisted and turned before sending Torres away to claim his second goal, which was originally disallowed for offside but overturned following a VAR check.

It was a dream return to their ground, with the reigning Spanish champions having mostly played at the 55,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill since renovations on the Nou Camp began in June 2023.

They were forced to play two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, this season after failing to get a permit for the Nou Camp through safety reasons.

Pogba Returns To Action In Ligue 1 (6)

Paul Pogba played his first minutes of professional football in more than two years as he came off the bench during Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at the weekend.

The 32-year-old was introduced in the 85th minute at Rennes’ Roazhon Park, though his side were already four goals and a player down, following a red card for captain Denis Zakaria.

French World Cup winner Pogba broke down in tears when he joined Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Pogba’s last competitive appearance was 811 days ago, when he featured for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on 3 September 2023. He left Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.

Pogba was provisionally banned from football for four years after a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test in August 2023.

Pogba maintained it was a mistake and that he was given a supplement without knowing it contained a banned substance.

The former Manchester United midfielder was permitted to return to football in March following the decision to reduce his ban.

Pogba watched from the bench as goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas put Rennes out of sight.

Fellow substitute Mika Biereth pulled a goal back for Monaco in the 95th minute, but a second consecutive 4-1 defeat means Sebastien Pocognoli’s side drop to eighth in the table with 20 points after 13 games.