Falcons unlucky, says Mbachu

Former Super Falcons star Stella Mbachu says Nigeria’s senior women’s football team were unlucky to have exited the women’s football event at the Paris 2024 Olympics at the group stage, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Randy Waldrum’s side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Japan in the final Group C game on Wednesday to crash out of the competition after losing all three games.

Paired alongside Spain, Brazil, and Japan, the Falcons were in for a difficult challenge at the Olympics. Their campaign got off on a bad note, losing their opening game to Brazil 1-0. In their second game against reigning world champions Spain, the Falcons put up a better performance than their opener against the South Americans.

After losing 1-0 to Brazil in their first game, the 11-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winners seemed poised to pick up a hard-earned point in their second game against Spain on Sunday, but a late goal from Barcelona star Alexia Putellas ensured the Spaniards snatched all three points.

In their last game against Japan on Wednesday, the Falcons conceded two goals before the half-hour mark before Jeniffer Echegini scored a goal that may be competing for the goal of the tournament to get Nigeria back in the game at 2-1.

However, Tosin Demehin was unlucky to have a decision ruled against her by Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas, who awarded a free kick to the Asian giants in the last minute of added time.

Left-back Hikaru Kitagawa beat Chiamaka Nnadozie from the resulting set piece to take the game beyond the reach of the Falcons.

In a chat with PUNCH Sports Extra, Mbachu, who had 88 caps and scored 20 goals representing Nigeria, said her compatriots were unlucky during their Olympics campaign.

“Despite the defeats, I think they did very well; they were just unlucky,” she said.

“I don’t think they did anything wrong because I believed they did their best.”

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