Asisat Oshoala scores as Al Nassr edge Al Hilal in Saudi Women's Cup final
Asisat Oshoala was once again on target for Al Hilal Women, but her effort was not enough to prevent a heartbreaking 3-2 extra-time defeat to Al Nassr Women in the Saudi Women’s Cup final.
The Nigerian superstar capped another impressive outing with a late penalty after winning the spot-kick herself, scoring Al Hilal’s second goal in a dramatic contest that stretched beyond 90 minutes.
Despite ending the season without the trophy, Oshoala closed out her debut campaign in Saudi Arabia in fine style, recording an outstanding 30 goal contributions, 24 goals and six assists, while extending her scoring streak to five consecutive matches.
Al Hilal looked set for glory after taking the lead just before half-time. Portuguese forward Jéssica Silva combined brilliantly with Fatimah Mansour before curling a superb left-footed strike into the bottom corner in the 44th minute. Moments earlier, Oshoala had threatened with a header that sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Al Nassr, however, came alive in the second half and slowly wrestled control of the game. Their pressure finally paid off in the 86th minute when Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga tapped home from close range to drag the game into extra time.
What followed was a Clara Luvanga masterclass.
The forward struck again in the 97th minute to give Al Nassr the lead before completing her hat-trick in the 105th minute with a calm finish that made it 3-1.
Even with the game slipping away, Oshoala continued to lead the fight for Al Hilal. The former Barcelona striker forced a strong defensive block from distance in the 103rd minute and came close again late on before eventually converting from the spot to reduce the deficit.
But Al Nassr held on to secure the trophy and complete another statement victory over their rivals.
The win capped a dominant campaign for Al Nassr over Al Hilal, having already beaten them earlier in the Saudi Women’s Premier Challenge Cup final while also clinching the Saudi Women’s Premier League title.
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