Montpellier forward Valerie Gauvin netted a hat-trick for France as an experimental Nigeria side suffered an 8-0 obliteration in Friday’s friendly in Le Mans.
With Asisat Oshoala missing, the Super Falcons were put to the sword by the Europeans, with Gauvin’s treble earning a flawless triumph.
The defeat was the joint-largest for Nigeria women in their history, with the reigning African champions also having suffered 8-0 defeats at the hands of Norway at the 1995 Fifa Women's World Cup and Germany in an international friendly in 2010.
While the loss was a massive blow to Thomas Dennerby’s women, it was a fantastic result for France, who are hosting the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Corinne Diacre’s side an inspiring 14 shots on target, a far cry from the Super Falcons’ one.
It was also a banner day for Gauvin, who netted her first hat trick for France, and the first for the side since a match in 2013 that saw both Eugenie Le Sommer and Gaetane Thiney bag three goals in a 14-0 win over Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifier.
