Wednesday night at Rosengård’s home stadium in Malmo, Sweden, witnessed a battle not just for 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League points, but for national pride, as Nigerian compatriots Halimatu Ayinde (Rosengård) and Christy Ucheibe (Benfica) faced off in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Ayinde, playing a defensive midfield role for Rosengård, started brightly, winning a free-kick early on. But it was Olivia Schough who opened the scoring for the home side with a brilliant strike in the 13th minute. Ucheibe and her Benfica defense faced constant pressure, but kept Rosengård at bay until the 52nd minute when Jéssica Silva equalized for the visitors.
Just five minutes later, Benfica stunned the stadium with Marie-Yasmine Alidou’s goal, putting them in the driver’s seat. Rosengård refused to surrender, and Mai Kadowaki found the equalizer in the 82nd minute after a pinpoint pass from Ria Öling.
Unfortunately, Ayinde’s night took a turn for the worse in the 83rd minute when she got injured and had to be substituted. Despite both teams pushing for a winner, the match ended in a draw.
For Rosengård, the draw wasn’t enough to avoid elimination from the Champions League. With just one point from five games, they sit at the bottom of Group A. Benfica, on the other hand, celebrate a fantastic night. Their second-place finish with eight points secures their place in the quarter-finals!
Ucheibe’s Benfica can now look forward to the next stage of the competition, while Ayinde and Rosengård will focus on their domestic campaign. Nevertheless, Wednesday’s match showcased the talent and fighting spirit of both Super Falcons, leaving fans with a memorable clash of Nigerian power on the European stage.
Key Points:
• Rosengård 2-2 Benfica Women
• Both Ayinde and Ucheibe started for their respective teams
• Rosengård are eliminated from the Champions League
• Benfica Women qualify for the quarter-finals
