Jennifer Echigini admits Nigeria’s offensive shortcomings in Japan loss

By Samuel Ahmadu in France

Nigerian midfielder Jennifer Echigini shared her thoughts on the match and expressed optimism for the future after a challenging 3-1 defeat to Japan in Nantes on Wednesday.

In their final group game against Japan at the Stade de La Beaujoire, the new PSG signing delivered what turned out to be the Super Falcons’ goal of the tournament.

This loss marked their third consecutive defeat in the tournament, following earlier 1-0 losses to Brazil and Spain. The West Africans’ return to the global multisport event after a 16-year hiatus has been challenging and ultimately forgettable.

Echigini recounted the difficulty of the game, stressing the need for the team to trust themselves more offensively.

“The game against Japan was the toughest. I think we need to trust ourselves more offensively,” Echigini told TotoriNews.

“In the past two games, we played defensively and maybe hoped to get away with it, but in the end, we were hurt.”

Despite the defeat, Echigini saw positives in the team’s performance against Japan.

“We should have played more offensively like we did today, trusting ourselves both offensively and defensively,” she noted. This shift in approach allowed the team to display their potential and fight against a formidable opponent.

Echigini also reflected on missed opportunities in previous matches against Spain and Brazil.

“We could have capitalized against Spain and Brazil, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We can talk about chances that we should have finished, but those opportunities have passed.”