Olympics
Super Falcons ready for Brazil’s challenge in Bordeaux
Nigeria’s Super Falcons bounce back to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament with some fear factor for all opponents, and Brazil are the first to face the girls with the swagger in what promises to be an explosive opener to Group C in the city of Bordeaux on Thursday evening.
In years gone by, pundits would have dismissed the clash as a routine three-pointer for the South Americans, who continue to produce some of the world’s best legs in the game. But so much has changed over the past year-and-half, and on the evidence of their outing at last summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, any team that under-rates the nine-time African champions could end up with a black eye and a bloody nose.
The Falcons are returning to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament the way they left – against Brazil. Their last game at the tournament was against Brazil, when they lost 1-3 to the Canarinhas in front of 51,112 spectators at the impressive Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, China. Perpetua Nkwocha’s penalty kick that put Nigeria in front was annulled by a Cristiane hat-trick that sent Brazil to the last eight.
However, women’s football aficionados worldwide consider that Thursday’s encounter at the 42,000 -capacity Stade Matmut Atlantique in southern France will be much more competitive and entertaining.
Nigeria’s ensemble is currently brimming with highly-gifted, talented and enterprising professionals who continue to dazzle with their clubs in Europe and the Americas, and they suffer no anxieties or palpitations when they take the pitch against the very best squads from anywhere, as was seen in Australia 12 months ago.
Down Under, the girls coached by American Randy Waldrum successfully checkmated Olympic champions Canada, defeated exciting hosts Australia and drew with an ambitious Republic of Ireland side in Brisbane to reach the Round of 16. There, they punched England severally but could not get that important goal, and eventually lost after a penalty shootout following scoreless regulation and extra time.
Only reserve goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi remains part of the Falcons’ squad from that 2008 experience in China, but goalkeeper Ann Chiejine, assistant coach with the team in France, was part of a memorable encounter with the Brazilians at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in the USA in 1999.
Nigeria roared back from 0-3 down at half time to tie the encounter 3-3, but lost via the ‘golden goal’ at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Maryland.
On Thursday, there will be no punches pulled by either side, with the focus on the three points as the race begins for slots in the quarter-finals.
Coach Waldrum can afford to be confident, with world-class goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defence stalwarts Osinachi Ohale, Michelle Alozie Oluwatosin Demehin and Chidinma Okeke, midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade, Christy Ucheibe, Deborah Abiodun and Toni Payne, and forwards Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kanu.
The Super Falcons flew past their counterparts from Ethiopia, Cameroon and South Africa to reach the final tournament, and no doubt, possess the steel and flair to go all the way in France.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face a confident and free-scoring Comoros side in the next round of the women’s football qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after the island nation completed a staggering 30-0 aggregate demolition of Sudan.
Comoros sealed their passage to the next stage with a 13-0 victory in the second leg of their first-round tie, having already recorded a commanding win in the opening match. The result saw the Coelacanthes score an extraordinary 30 goals across the two legs without conceding a single goal.
The emphatic triumph has generated excitement around the rapidly improving Comoros women’s national team, but a much sterner examination now awaits against Africa’s most successful women’s football nation.
Nigeria, ten-time African champions and one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, enter the next round as overwhelming favourites. However, Comoros’ remarkable scoring exploits against Sudan suggest they will arrive with growing confidence and belief.
The Coelacanthes dominated both encounters from start to finish, displaying clinical finishing and defensive solidity that left Sudan with no answer. Their tally of 30 goals over two matches represents an astonishing average of 15 goals per game.
For Nigeria, the fixture will mark the beginning of another quest for Olympic qualification after missing out on the women’s football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Super Falcons, who recently impressed in their international friendly victories over Senegal in Ikenne, boast vastly greater experience and pedigree than their upcoming opponents. The nine-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions have consistently been among the continent’s strongest teams and remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national side.
Comoros coach Youssouf Abdallah has described his team’s performances against Sudan as evidence of the progress being made within the squad, but the encounter with Nigeria will provide a true measure of their development.
While Comoros’ record-breaking victory has captured attention across African football, the challenge of overcoming Nigeria represents a significant leap in quality. The Super Falcons have traditionally dominated lower-ranked African opponents and will be expected to continue their march towards a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The dates for the second-round qualifiers are expected to be confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the winners advancing further in the race for a place at the Olympic Games in the United States.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Iwobi Set for Century Milestone Against Portugal
Why the U.S. Deny Entry to Somali World Cup Referee
World Cup, America’s 250th Independence Anniversary Set Stage for Historic Summer
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup1 week ago
Attack-minded Ivorians bullish ahead of World Cup return
- World Cup6 days ago
Rema, Davido, Burna Boy and Ayra Starr Make FIFA’s Star-Studded World Cup 2026 Official Album
- World Cup5 days ago
FIFA bans vuvuzelas from World Cup stadiums
- World Cup5 days ago
Shakira to Headline FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony in Mexico
- International Football2 days ago
Eriksen Suffers Fresh Collapse During Denmark Friendly, Reviving Memories of Euro 2020 Ordeal
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Soname Rewards Flamingos with N4.5m Goal Bonus After Guinea Rout
- World Cup1 week ago
Behold! Nigeria’s Gift to the World Cup: 11 Stars, No Super Eagles
- World Cup3 days ago
Pelé’s 1970 World Cup Hideaway Becomes Tourist Attraction as Mexico Hosts Tournament for Record Third Time