Friday, August 14, 2026

Juju scare during encounter with Cameroon mere distraction, says Falcons midfielder

“We believe in God and in God we stand.’’

• February 27, 2024
Deborah Abiodun
Deborah Abiodun [Photo: Complete Sports]

Super Falcons midfield maestro, Deborah Abiodun, has said the juju-like drama which unfolded in their match against Cameroon was a mere distraction by their opponents.

The nine-time African champions, Super Falcons piped Cameroon’s Lionesses 1-0 in a crucial second leg Women’s Olympic football qualifier, after a pulsating encounter in Abuja.

There was however a little drama which unfolded at the start of the second half inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

This was after a Cameroonian player attempted to plant a juju-like material at the Super Falcons’ goal post.

It was a move probably targeted at Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie who had kept the Cameroonians at bay in Douala and Abuja.

The attempt was however checked and possibly the efficacy of the charm was diluted as Nnadozie prevented the Lionesses from breaching her goal.

Abiodun told journalists during a post-match conference that the move by the visitors was a tactic deployed to distract the Falcons.

She however said that it failed to yield any positive result for the Cameroonians as the Falcons were fully focused.

“We kind of saw it as a point of distraction in the game and were able to keep our focus high, regardless of whatever they believed in. We believe in God and in God we stand and put our trust. With God all things are possible. So, we don’t care about the voodoo,” she said.

She said that it was a great privilege for her and her colleagues to be part of the team.

The Pittsburgh Panthers midfielder was in full flow in the middle of the park.

Crisp with her movements, hard to shake off the ball, and always looking for forward passes.

Her dominance waned after Christy Ucheibe was drafted back to the defence following an injury to centre-back Oluwatosin Demehin.

(NAN)

We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.

More from Peoples Gazette

farmers

Agriculture

FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology

The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Katsina State

Politics

Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku

“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

shooting Stars Sports Club Logo

Sport

3SC appoint Salisu Yusuf as new technical adviser

The club on Sunday announced that it had parted ways with Nurudeen Aweroro.

Remi Tinubu

Heading 5

Girls facing life challenges deserve second chance at education, says Remi Tinubu 

She urged the state to ensure the effective operation and proper maintenance of the schools. 

President Bola Tinubu

Economy

Tinubu urges Nigerians abroad to invest in nation’s economy

Mr Tinubu commended Nigerians abroad for their resilience and contributions to the global economy. 

European Union

Hot news Home top

Osun Poll: EU-SDGN flags Osogbo, Irewole, 11 others as high-risk areas

The EU-SDGN EOH expressed concern over allegations of misuse of force, police brutality, among others. 

Jason Arday

Education

Cambridge professor Jason Arday found dead amid plagiarism scandal

Cambridge University’s youngest Black professor, Jason Arday, accused of plagiarising his academic work and exaggerating his achievements, has died. He died on Friday.

Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission [NUPRC]

Heading 2

NUPRC moves to deepen domestic supply through petroleum swap

A total of 53.7 million barrels of crude oil were supplied to local refiners between April and June.