Nigeria v France

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Nigeria v France

VAR Influences French Victory Over Nigeria

by Jeremy Ruane

France benefited from the influence of the Video Assistant Referee as they eventually overcame a stubborn Nigerian combination 1-0 at Roazhon Park in Rennes on June 17, as 28,267 fans saw the host nation finish top of their FIFA Women's World Cup Finals group thanks to this victory.

The African champions were first to threaten, Desire Oparanozie getting her head to Ngozi Ebere's fourth minute corner to give the French palpitations which were only eased when captain Amandine Henry hooked the ball to safety.

That proved to Nigeria's only chance of the first half, the rest of which they spent defending resolutely in the face of a steady stream of French assaults on their goal, the first of which materialised in the twelfth minute.

Amel Majri's corner travelled via Amandine Henry to Viviane Asseyi, whose low twenty yarder skidded past the far post, three minutes before a well-worked free-kick routine culminated in a Majri cross which Valerie Gauvin headed over the bar.

A Gaetane Thiney corner in the seventeenth minute was met on the volley by Henry, but she directed her effort past the upright, a feat she repeated later in the half on receipt of a cross from x.

In between times, Thiney won the ball in midfield and worked an opening with both Delphine Cascarino and Charlotte Bilbault before looking to pick out Gauvin, who just failed to make contact with the ball beyond the far post.

Just before half-time, Cascarino caught Asisat Oshoala in possession before powering past Ebere and whipping in a cross which went just behind Gauvin, whose attempt to turn it home via an acrobatic volley endured predictable results.

The second half saw a continuation of France's first half dominance, with Nigeria feeding off crumbs. A Thiney free-kick was headed well wide by Wendie Renard, who headed a corner from the same player goalwards in the 56th minute, Asseyi just failing in her attempt to guide the ball on target via a diving header.

In between times, Cascarino rattled the side-netting after a concerted attack around Nigeria's penalty area, while on the hour, the youngster was released by a super cross-field ball from Renard, Cascarino then taking on the defence before setting up Thiney, who steered her shot wide of a half-open goal.

Majri unleashed a twenty-five yard thunderbolt straight at Chiamaka Nnadozie in the 65th minute, the first save the young goalkeeper had been called upon to produce thus far. She was soon to be far more active.

Eve Perisset, Henry and Asseyi combined to present Thiney with another chance sixty seconds later, but Nnadozie did enough to force the midfielder to steer her effort past the post from six yards.

Nigeria's number one then punched a Perisset cross off the head of Thiney - she did everything but score in this match - before the crucial moment in the match came to pass in the 72nd minute.

Majri's cross was flicked on by substitute Eugenie Le Sommer towards Asseyi, who was fouled by Ebere from behind as she attempted to steer the ball goalwards. It looked an obvious penalty in this writer's eyes, but not to Honduras referee Melissa Borjas, who soon had her decision rectified thanks to the Video Assistant Referee.

The revised decision meant the end of the line for Ebere, for this was her second bookable offence in the match - she was sent off. By the time she had left the park, some four minutes had elapsed since the offence had taken place - VAR doesn't offer an instant resolution of issues arising, that's for sure!

Cue Renard, who was charged with taking the penalty, and promptly struck the outside of the post with her effort. Sacre bleu! But wait, there's more! For the VAR came to France's rescue - Nnadozie had moved off her line, just as Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler had when Team USA's Carli Lloyd missed her penalty twenty-four hours ago.

That penalty wasn't retaken, but this one was, and Nnadozie was booked for her part in proceedings. Up stepped Renard again, and this time she steered the ball into the top corner of the net to the delight of the crowd, who roared in delight as France took the lead with eleven minutes remaining.

While they were roaring with delight, questions were being asked about the consistent application of VAR in these situations. Just twenty-four hours earlier, the USA's Carli Lloyd missed a penalty for which Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler moved off her line to potentially save before the kick had been taken. There was no sign of VAR or a retake for that effort …

Onto the action in the final ten minutes, during which French attempts to guarantee victory via a second goal were frequent. Nnadozie smothered an Asseyi shot after Onome Ebi had headed Perisset's cross away from the danger zone, while in the 86th minute, the goalkeeper plucked the ball off the head of substitute Kadidiatou Diani, as "Les Bleus" kept their foot on the throttle.

Nnadozie produced a fine save to thwart Le Sommer two minutes from time, after Bilbault and Asseyi had combined to good effect, as the ten-strong Nigerians held out their full-strength opponents, restricting the hosts to a controversial 1-0 victory, with plenty of discussion sure to ensue about the involvement of the VAR system after this experience.

France's progress to the last sixteen was already assured, but with this defeat, Nigeria are now relying on other results to go their way to determine their future involvement at France 2019. If this was their last game, it will be considered a premature departure by all concerned.

France: Bouhaddi; Perisset, Mbock Bathy, Renard, Majri; Bilbault, Thiney (Geyoro, 89), Henry; Cascarino (Diani, 63), Gauvin (booked, 45) (Le Sommer, 63), Asseyi

Nigeria: Nnadozie (booked, 77); Okeke, Ebi, Ohale, Ebere (booked, 27, 75 - sent off); Ayinde, Okobi, Chikwelu (booked, 90); Ordega (Nwabuoku, 85), Oparanozie (Okoronkwo, 90), Oshoala (Imo, 85)

Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)

Group Matches