The Falcons lost both of their close 1-0 matches against Brazil and Spain, which has put them in a precarious predicament.
The Nigerian women’s team thinks they can take the necessary action by defeating Japan decisively at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Wednesday, despite the fact that many people blame the Super Falcons for their current vulnerable situation.
Even though they would be one of the two best third-place teams going into the quarterfinals, coach Randy Waldrum’s ladies have a chance to go to the next round if they defeat the Japanese.
Nigeria secured a vital victory by a goal from Vera Okolo as the Super Falcons defeated Japan 1-0 in a Women’s Olympic Football Tournament match played in Piraeus, Greece in 2004.
The Super Falcons’ victory was their lone Olympic triumph in 24 years of competition, and it also guaranteed them their first and only quarterfinal spot in the competition to date.
“Overcoming Japan is conceivable. We’re going to put in a lot of effort to make that happen. In a news conference released by the NFF on Tuesday, captain Rasheedat Ajibade stated, “The Super Falcons have done it before and we can do it again.”
In the match against world champions Spain on Sunday, Ajibade, Asisat Oshoala, and Chinwendu Ihezuo were all guilty of squandering golden opportunities that were presented to them.
In addition to costing Nigeria important points, the players’ missed opportunities prevented them from being added to the nation’s all-time list of goal scorers in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
At the Olympics, Nigeria’s women’s team has only managed three goals from three players.
With four goals, Mercy Akide-Udoh, an exquisite forward and current FIFA Goodwill Ambassador for Women’s Football, leads Nigeria in scoring.
During the Sydney Olympics, she scored twice in the 1-3 defeats to Norway in Canbera and the USA in Melbourne. Four years later in Athens, she scored twice more in the 1-2 losses to Sweden and Germany.
Perpetua Nkwocha, the four-time African Player of the Year, is behind with two goals, which she scored in the 1-3 loss to Brazil in Beijing eight years later and the 1-3 loss to China in Canberra in 2000.
Vera Okolo, whose only goal came in the victory over Japan in Athens 20 years ago, is also on the list.
Despite their exuberance, nothing about the Super Falcons suggests they will be easy pickings for the Japanese team.
In their first match, the Asian giants were defeated 2-1 by Spain, but they recovered to defeat Brazil by the same score.
