Chiamaka Nnadozie Loses First Career Final as Manchester City Win Historic Double
- Chiamaka Nnadozie suffered the first final defeat of her career after previously winning six major finals
- Manchester City completed a historic domestic double with emphatic FA Cup final victory over Brighton
- The Super Falcons star made six saves at Wembley despite conceding four goals against the champions
Nigeria's Chiamaka Nnadozie tasted defeat in a major final for the first time in her career as Manchester City completed a historic domestic double with a commanding 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
The Super Falcons goalkeeper arrived at Wembley carrying a remarkable record, having won every major final she had featured in before Sunday's showpiece. However, even another impressive individual display from the Nigerian was not enough to stop a ruthless Manchester City side from capping a memorable season with a second major trophy.
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Three weeks after ending their decade-long wait for the Women's Super League title, the Cityzens underlined their status as England's dominant force by adding the FA Cup crown to their collection.
City's victory delivered the club's first-ever domestic double and confirmed their place among the elite teams in women's football this season.
Nnadozie fights hard despite heavy defeat
While the scoreline appeared one-sided, Nnadozie produced several important interventions to prevent an even heavier defeat.
The Brighton goalkeeper was first called into action in the 17th minute when she got down smartly to deny Lauren Hemp's effort from inside the area. Moments later, she confidently collected a defensive free-kick as Brighton attempted to settle into the contest.
Her best save of the first half arrived in the 35th minute when she reacted sharply to stop Khadija Shaw from close range. However, the Jamaican striker would eventually have the final say.
Despite Nnadozie's resistance, City broke through after 38 minutes when Shaw powered home a header to open the scoring. Alex Greenwood then doubled the advantage with a brilliantly struck low free-kick before halftime.
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Brighton struggled to recover after the break as City's quality began to show.
Aoba Fujino added a third goal following excellent work from Shaw, while experienced Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema completed the scoring late in the match.
Even after City had established control, Nnadozie continued to showcase why she is regarded among the world's best goalkeepers.
The Nigerian international produced another fine stop to deny Grace Clinton in the 59th minute before making back-to-back saves from Shaw and Fujino in the closing stages.
According to Fotmob, Nnadozie finished the encounter with six saves, including six stops from shots inside the penalty area. She also recorded nine recoveries and completed 14 of her 22 passes during a busy afternoon.
End of a remarkable unbeaten run
Sunday's defeat brought an end to one of the most impressive final records in women's football.
Before facing Manchester City, Nnadozie had appeared in six major finals and emerged victorious every single time.
Her winning journey began with Rivers Angels in Nigeria, where she lifted the Women's Federation Cup in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.
She also collected a Women's Africa Cup of Nations winners' medal in 2018 as part of the Super Falcons squad before adding another continental crown when Nigeria defeated hosts Morocco in the 2025 final.
Perhaps the most memorable triumph of her career came last season in France.
The Nigerian goalkeeper inspired Paris FC to Coupe de France Féminine glory against rivals Paris Saint-Germain, producing a heroic display in the penalty shootout.
Nnadozie saved two penalties during the final to hand Paris FC one of the biggest victories in the club's history.
Those achievements, combined with a lengthy list of individual honours, have cemented her status as one of Africa's greatest goalkeepers.
City justify champions tag
According to BBC, Manchester City entered the final as overwhelming favourites after their outstanding domestic campaign and ultimately lived up to expectations.
Brighton, appearing in the first major final in their history, showed flashes of quality through Fran Kirby, Kiko Seike and impressive midfielder Maisie Symonds.
However, they lacked the cutting edge required to punish the champions when opportunities came their way.
City's experience, composure and attacking quality proved decisive as they controlled key moments of the contest.
The result secured a fourth FA Cup title for Manchester City and capped a season that will be remembered as one of the most successful in the club's history.
Nnadozie's disappointment at losing her first final will undoubtedly hurt, but her performance offered further evidence of her world-class credentials.
At just 25 years old, the Nigerian remains one of the most sought-after goalkeepers in women's football and is expected to play a leading role for the country in the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Africa's undisputed shot-stopper
Legit.ng previously reported that Nnadozie continued her dominance of African football after winning the CAF Goalkeeper of the Year award for a third consecutive time in November 2025.
The Super Falcons star beat Morocco's Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa's Andile Dlamini to make history as the first goalkeeper to claim the prestigious award in three straight years, further underlining her status as Africa's undisputed number one.
Source: Legit.ng
