The ancient land of Australia is about to host the pinnacle of the Women's World Cup. However, in this exciting final week, the Kangaroos' leader, captain and striker Sengkar, has been ruled out due to injury, leaving this 2nd group stage match full of unknowns and challenges as they face Nigeria.
Sengkar, the star of the Kangaroo Army, will no doubt be sorry for her absence. But I think this may be an opportunity for the rest of the team to show their talents and realize their "top position".
In the first match, 21-year-old Gurney Goose and Kareena Golley worked in tandem in the middle of the midfield, and 20-year-old City starlet Marikona is looking forward to fully supporting the team and filling the void left by Senkal.
Experienced players such as Arsenal's twin treasures, Stakhani and Catherine Foote, will play key roles in the game. Stakhani was called upon to captain the team and scored the winning penalty against Ireland, while Forte is the pivot of the team's offense and defense.
Meanwhile, Nigeria showed solid defense as they drew with Canada in the first round of group stage matches. 22-year-old goalkeeper Nayaduth was in fine form as she successfully saved Canada's penalty kicks and made a number of good saves to hold on to the draw for her team.
Barcelona's Osho Aira is an opponent Canada must be wary of, but the red-letter suspension of 19-year-old defensive midfielder Dipola Ebio could have an impact on Nigeria's fighting spirit.
