MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — With a diving one-handed save to her left, 22-year-old goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie denied international soccer’s leading scorer Christine Sinclair and played a pivotal role in Nigeria holding Olympic champion Canada to a 0-0 draw at the Women’s World Cup.
Nnadozie parried away Sinclair’s shot from the spot in the 50th minute Friday after the Canadian veteran had earned the penalty after being clipped by Nigerian forward Francisca Ordega.
Sinclair’s 190 international goals is an all-time record — for both women’s and men’s soccer — and she’s aiming to become the first player to score in six World Cups. It didn’t happen in Canada’s opening Group B game.
“She’s one of the best,” Nnadozie said of Sinclair. “The last time we played against them, she scored on me. I was very angry. I told myself, ‘This is the opportunity to make things right.’ So it’s 1-1 for me and Sinclair.”
Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan said Sinclair would convert the penalty “nine times out of 10” but added, “that’s just the game.”
“You just have to be ready. It’s an incredible save,” Sheridan said, describing Nnadozie as “an incredible keeper.”
In the Super Falcons’ last major international tournament, the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria lost to Morocco in a semifinal penalty shootout, 5-4, with Nnadozie between the goalposts.
“I think she’s one of the best young goalkeepers in the world right now,” Nigerian head coach Randy Waldrum said. “Just by performance today, people around the world are seeing that from her too, because she deserves it.”
At age 18, in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Nnadozie became the youngest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in Women’s World Cup history, with a 2-0 group stage victory over South Korea.
After her draw-preserving save on the Canadian captain in Melbourne, Nnadozie pointed to her head with gloved hands. After the match, she said the gesture was to remind herself: “Come on, girl, come on. This is another game. We still got some minutes to play. Don’t relax.”
A penalty was the decisive factor in the opening Group B match on Thursday night, when co-host Australia edged Ireland 1-0.
“In this group, in this tournament, penalties can win games,” Nigeria forward Ifeoma Onumonu said. “For me, when that happened, I kind of had a feeling she was going to save it.”
The Canadians were confident Sinclair would move on quickly from a rare missed opportunity.
“Christine Sinclair has scored many, many, many goals for this country and I’m sure the fans, the team and everyone can forgive missing a penalty kick,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “Penalty kicks are a 50-50 chance and on this day Sinc didn’t score that.
“This team and this country love Christine Sinclair more than anything, so they’ll rally around her and we’ll have her ready for the next game.”
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Savannah Hernandez and Cassidy Hettesheimer are students at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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