Paris 2024: Nigeria’s Super Falcons dare Brazil in Olympic opener

The stage is set for another epic showdown between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Brazil as they clash in their opening match of the 2024 Olympic women’s football tournament on Thursday.

The match, which kicks off at 6 pm, will be televised live on Sporty TV channel on StarTimes, promising an unforgettable spectacle for fans around the world.

This highly anticipated encounter brings back memories of the legendary 1996 Olympic semi-final where Nigeria’s men famously defeated Brazil.

While the Nigerian men’s team is absent from this year’s tournament, the Super Falcons are making a triumphant return after a 16-year hiatus.

Having impressed at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, they enter the Olympics with momentum and a roster brimming with talent, including Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Chiamaka Nnadozie and many others.

Head-to-Head

This will be the third meeting between these two football powerhouses and their second Olympic clash.
Brazil emerged victorious in their previous encounters, with a dramatic 4-3 extra-time win at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup followed by a more comfortable 3-1 victory in the group stage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
However, the current Super Falcons squad is a force to be reckoned with.

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Their impressive performance at the World Cup has elevated their status, and they are determined to make a strong statement on the Olympic stage.

With a blend of experience and youth, Nigeria is eager to rewrite the history books against its formidable opponents.

Talented squad

Coach Randy Waldrum can afford to be confident, with the calibre of players at his disposal.
Aside from world-class goalkeeper Nnadozie, there are defence stalwarts Osinachi Ohale, Michelle Alozie Oluwatosin Demehin, and Chidinma Okeke, who are all available.

Midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade, Christy Ucheibe, Deborah Abiodun and Toni Payne as well as forwards Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kanu are all in the promising Super Falcons team hoping to ruffle feathers at the Olympic Games.

In the qualifiers, the Super Falcons flew past their counterparts from Ethiopia, Cameroon and South Africa to make it to the Paris Olympic Games.