Oshoala's injury: Two ways Super Falcons can compensate for Barcelona striker's absence

The African Women Cup Of Nations being held in Morocco has been nothing short of intense excitement.

Although the Nigerian Super Falcons team suffered an early defeat in their opening game against fierce rivals South Africa, there is a chance of redemption when they lock horns with Botswana today.

Botswana are no easy opponents as they walloped Burundi with a 4-2 scoreline in their opening game. While the Super Falcons remain the favourites to win the game against Botswana due to their quality and being the defending champions.

The task would be made harder by the absence of Barcelona star player Asisat Oshoala who has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to injury.

The 27-year-old suffered what was later described as a "grade two ligament injury" in the early stages of the game against South Africa but she played through the pain barrier before being substituted for Francisca Ordega in the 81st minute.

Injuries are a normal occurrence in a contact sport such as football but it is never a good sight and allnigeriasoccer.com wishes Asisat Oshoala a speedy recovery.

However, the team needs to adjust to the absence of the Barcelona forward and we take a look at two ways the Super Falcons can compensate for it.

Tactical Change

Randy Waldrum squeezed two strikers Asisat Oshoala and Ifeoma Onumonu into a 4-3-3 setup against South Africa, with the Barcelona star unavailable, there may be a slight change in the set-up.

A 4-2-3-1 or any other setup that includes one striker may be utilised.

Personnel Change

This is a simple change where another player replaces Oshoala in the lineup while the formation and tactics remain the same.

This may see a slight drop in the quality of the attack as Oshoala is nearly irreplaceable in the Super Falcons squad.

A tactical change would be the best option for Waldrum to compensate for Oshoala's absence as the Barcelona star brings a special skill set that is very difficult to replicate

Sofoluwe Mayowa

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