Olympics
Irrepressible Canada reach Olympic quarter-finals despite six-point deduction
Defending champions Canada reached the quarter-finals of the women’s Olympic football tournament on Wednesday thanks to a 1-0 win over Colombia in Nice hours after they had an appeal against their six-point deduction dismissed.
Colombia also booked their spot in the knockouts on Wednesday, along with France, Germany, Japan and Brazil, but Australia missed out.
Wednesday’s results set up some tantalising last-eight ties with Canada taking on Germany, the U.S. playing Japan, Spain facing Colombia and France playing Brazil, with the quarter-finals being held on Saturday.
Canada were docked points following a drone spying scandal that led to the suspension of coach Bev Priestman and other staff members and their appeal against the FIFA sanction was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier in the day.
With the top two teams in each of the three groups advancing, along with two best third-placed sides, Canada now led by assistant coach Andy Spence, needed maximum points against Colombia to progress from Group A.
After wins against New Zealand and hosts France, Vanessa Gilles’s 61st-minute goal against Colombia following a set piece was enough to send them into the knockouts after finishing second in the standings with three points.
Despite the defeat, Colombia reached their first-ever Olympic quarter-final after finishing as one of the best third-placed sides.
France advanced with a 2-1 win over New Zealand in Lyon courtesy of Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s double to finish as Group A winners.
Katoto opened the scoring with a header in the 22nd minute before New Zealand levelled with a fine Kate Taylor volley three minutes before the break.
Katoto, however, netted her second five minutes after the restart to become the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.
Germany thrashed Zambia 4-1 in St Etienne with a brace from Lea Schueller and goals from Klara Buehl and Elisa Senss to clinch a spot in the next round with a second place finish in Group B.
Schueller opened the scoring for the 2016 gold medallists 10 minutes in before Bruhl doubled the advantage from long-range two minutes after the break.
Zambia’s Barbra Banda profited from a blunder by the German goalkeeper to net her fourth goal of the tournament, but Schueller made it 3-1 in the 61st before Senss sealed the rout in stoppage-time.
AUSTRALIA OUT
Australia were eliminated after a 2-1 defeat to the U.S. left them third in Group B with three points, but with an inferior goal difference to the other two third-placed sides, Brazil and Colombia.
The already-qualified U.S. produced another dominant performance to finish the group stage with a perfect nine points.
Trinity Rodman put the four-times gold medallists ahead in the 43rd minute and Korbin Albert made it 2-0 with a terrific shot in the 77th, before Alanna Kennedy pulled one back for Australia in stoppage-time.
In Group C, Brazil lost 2-0 to Spain, who had already booked their knockout spot and claimed their third straight win thanks to second-half goals from Athenea del Castillo and Alexia Putellas.
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Marta, who is retiring from international football this year, was in tears after a dangerous challenge on Spain’s Olga Carmona earned her a red card in the final seconds of the first half.
Del Castillo dealt Brazil another blow scoring in the 68th minute before a superb strike from Putellas sealed the triumph for the World Cup winners, who finished top of Group C.
Group C runners-up Japan beat Nigeria 3-1 in Nantes to finish with six points.
Chelsea’s Maika Hamano opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and Mina Tanaka added another 10 minutes later.
Jennifer Echegini made it 2-1 three minutes from halftime but Hikaru Kitagawa secured Japan the win with a free kick.
-Reuters
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.
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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.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are 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, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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