Nigeria were tougher and quicker than Brazil today in Amman, but shot stopper Kemelli remained composed with every Nigerian attack, managing four out of four saves which ultimately gave her team the narrow 1-0 victory.
It was difficult to pick apart the sides from statistics alone but one thing that set the two apart was the unanimous support from the Jordanian spectators who were on their feet chanting “Vai Brazil!” from before the game and throughout.
The first half started slow with neither side having a real clear chance on goal yet both defences looked so frantic with every dangeous run. Nigeria turned up the heat on Brazil in the 35th minute, hitting three strikes on target in five minutes, all of which were dealt with by Kemelli.
Despite the flurry of shots from the Flamingoes, Brazil took the lead when Nigerian keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie rushed out of goal to make a save only to push the ball to the feet of forward Micaelly who lobbed the ball over the out of position keeper and defence. Brazil’s support in the stadium was certainly heard when the ball hit the back of the net.
By the end of the first half the posession was almost split down the middle with Nigeria taking 51% and Brazil the remaining 49%, the same was true with fouls committed, shots on target and corners taken.
The second half remained much the same, offering only a handful of chances to either side, the best of which came from Nigerian captain Rasheedat Ajibade who, for the second time, came one on one with Kemelli, who caught the powerful strike with her leg.
By the 80th minute Brazil looked very tired, clearing every ball with a pass to a Nigerian around the halfway line but the side did not give up on their narrow victory, arguably due to their goalkeeper who surprisngly was not awarded player of the match.
