Ohale provides injury update, reveals what the players told themselves after Matildas opener 

Super Falcons central defender Osinachi Ohale has played down the injury she sustained during the second half of Nigeria's come-from-behind 3-2 win over co-hosts Australia in the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup on Thursday.  

In terms of the starting lineup against Australia, Ohale's experience is second to none as she is playing in her fourth World Cup, and she was seen dishing out instructions to her teammates during the game though she wasn't wearing the captain's armband.

In the 65th minute, she headed in at the far post to give the Super Eagles a 2-1 lead but got hurt in the process and required treatment before getting back into the thick of action. 

Despite the injury looking pretty bad, the Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas star has insisted that she's in good condition.

Ohale told reporters at the post-match press conference: "I think I am okay, I am fine".

The Super Falcons number 3 underlined that Nigeria are not at the World Cup to make up the numbers despite beset by off the field problems before their trip to Australia. 

"We didn't play how we wanted to play our game at the AWCON and we know what happened coming into the World Cup," Ohale stressed. 

"We said we've being at every single World Cup, it's not going to be as usual like the normal ones, we have to step up and show the world what we have. 

"In the first game and today's game, we want to showcase to the world what we have and what we can do."
 

Ohale shared what the players told themselves after Emily van Egmond gave Australia the lead and admitted that Uchenna Kanu's equalizer deep into first half stoppage time gave the Super Falcons the belief that they can go on to win the match. 

"The first goal was from our own mistake. We said we should keep pushing and everyone did exactly what we said, we kept talking to ourselves and that's when we scored.

"When we equalized, it was the moment we won it, that was how we wanted the first half to end so we knew we had the game and finished it up in the second half."

Nigeria go into their final group game against already eliminated Republic of Ireland knowing they need only a point to guarantee a place in the round of sixteen. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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