16 long years after their last appearance in Beijing 2008, Nigeria’s female national team, the Super Falcons have re-enacted the feat of qualifying for the global football showpiece. It was not an easy road to Paris as the Nigerian ladies had to hold off a stiff challenge from Bayana Bayana of South Africa. To get the sole African ticket to the female football event at the Olympics, the Super Falcons had to hold their nerve and fight till the blast of the final whistle in Pretoria.
The big step towards qualification started with a slim one goal lead in the first leg of the qualifier played at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The South African coach, Ellis Disiree had warned that Nigeria’s first leg win was the first half of the contest for the ticket. In Pretoria where a hostile South African home crowd would likely play a role in the proceedings, the Super Falcons had to deploy a balanced defensive and offensive tactic. Unlike in the first leg, the Falcons were pushed to the back foot by their hosts who were desperate for a break through.
Goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie made some string of second half saves to keep the Nigerians’ hopes of first Olympics appearance since 2008 alive. The Nigerian women now have it all to do when hostilities begin in the French capital against powerhouses, Spain, Japan and Brazil in group C. Findings by The Explainer show that the Olympics start July 26 to August 11, 2024.
