Nigeria’s Super Falcons’ winless run continued on Thursday morning after they were hammered 2-0 at the hands of the Nadeshiko of Japan in an international friendly match at the Noevir Stadium in Kobe, Japan.

A couple of top Nigerian players were not available for selection in the game, which served as a preparatory match for both countries ahead of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Barcelona Feminin forward Asisat Oshoala, Francisca Ordega, and Onome Ebi were among those players that could not feature in the encounter against the Japanese, who are the 11th-best-ranked women’s national team in the world. 

Super Falcons, currently ranked 46th in the world, went toe-to-toe with the 2011 World Cup winners in the first half of the intense encounter and were able to hold the Japanese to a goalless draw.

Nigeria came close to finding the back of the net towards the end of the first 45 minutes, but Ifeoma Onumonu’s shot from outside the 18-yard area hit the bar, and the ball bounced back to another Nigerian player but fired it over the post.

But it was a different story in the second half as Bayer Leverkusen forward Mina Tanaka scored within four minutes, one from a looped cross from a freekick and slotted the ball into the back of the net and the second goal from a spot kick to give the Japanese a well-deserved victory.

The defeat extended Falcons’ winless run across all competitions to five games. 

Nigeria have now lost four of their last five matches as pressures mount on the future of the team’s head coach Randy Waldrum.