**As Falcons clash with Canarinhas in Group C opener
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
In less than 48 hours, Nigeria will take on Brazil at Metmut Atlantique stadium, Bordeaux in the first Group C match of the 2024 Paris Olympics Women’s Football Tournament Olympics exactly 16 years after their last meeting in 2008 Beijing Games.
This is even as the Canarinhas or the Selecaò as Brazil’s senior women’s football team is called have an unassailable edge over Nigeria’s Super Falcons because twice they have met and twice, Brazil have prevailed over Nigeria.
The Brazilians were the last team the Super Facons faced at Beijing 2008, the last time Nigeria participated in the Olympic Games, and the result was a 3-1 bashing if the former African champions.
Legendary striker Perpetua Nkwocha put Nigeria ahead in 19′ via a penalty kick but Brazil’s Cristiane de Souza Silva scored two quick goals in the 33′, 35′ and another in 43′ to score a hatrick in the match played at 68,000 capacity Workers’ Stadium, Beijing, China.
Before the Beijing 2008 meeting, Nigeria and Brazil had clashed in United States of America (USA) in 1999 in what has been termed by many football followers as the best match Super Falcons ever played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
In fact, the seven goals
epic quarter-final tie which ended 4-3 in favour of Brazil has been ranked the second best match ever played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup till date by many football fans across the globe.
Apparently one of the matches that changed the face of women football across the world, the encounter played on July 1, 1999 at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, Landover, Maryland in front of 54,642 spectators produced alot of fireworks and suspense never seen again in women’s football tournaments.
To reach the quarter-final stage, Super Falcons led by late coach Ismaila Mabo had defeated North Korea 2-1 and Denmark 2-0 to chalk up six points in the group stage despite a huge loss to USA.
At the first half, it was looking like a walk over as the Brazilian star Cidinha scored a brace in the 4th and 22th minute of the game, while Nene seemed to have compounded the woes of the Nigerians at the 35th minute to end the first half 3-0 in favour of Brazil.
However, the Super Falcons who were clearly the underdogs, surprised everybody including themselves as they came back in the second half smoking and firing from all cylinders and it did not take time before they struck.
An astonishing second-half display from the African nation, who had perhaps wisely substituted goalkeeper Ann Chiejine at half-time by highly tactical coach Mabo with the reserve goalkeeper, Judith Chime aka Kamala– suggested a major upset was on the cards.
Indeed, the tie began to change as defender Prisca Emeafu’s goal in the 65 minute became like a fuel poured into an already burning fire as Nigeria mounted sustained pressure on their opponents to force them to start defending.
The determination, the energy and tenaciousness of these rejuvenated Nigerian ladies began to weigh down the Brazilians and then, attacking midfielder Nkiru Okosieme struck in the 62th minute while Nkechi Egbe equalised for the Africans in the 75th minute.
The tension began to build up from moment to seconds and into minutes, it was almost going the Nigeria way at nick of 90minutes, but the game was dragged to extra time and the “sudden death” debacle which FIFA has since discarded.
Underdogs Nigeria had contained Brazil and the eventual 1999 Golden Boot winner Sissi until 104 minute before the playmaker scored the Women World Cup’s first-ever ‘Golden Goal’, no thanks to a red card shown to the dashing winger Patience Avre who was causing Brazil huge problems by referee Virginia Tovar of Mexico as Nigeria was pushing very hard to score the winning goal.
It was a doubly devastating blow considering the Super Falcons had miraculously clawed their way back from a three-goal deficit and was in ascendancy even after playing the rest of the encounter with one player down.
However, a previously AWOL Sissi broke Nigerian hearts with a stunning free-kick which had Brazil coach Wilson de Oliveira Riça hailing her the “Queen of Soccer.”
Although Nigeria lost the match on the ill-fated ‘Golden Goal’ rule, the Super Falcons made a huge statement that you never mess with a Nigerian team, and a lesson that if something just spark off the never-die-spirit endowed to this people, they can pull down any team in the world, no matter their pedigree.
Meanwhile, on Thursday at Stade de Bordeaux, Nigeria will again tackle Brazil with only Brazilian women’s football legend Marta, the only surviving player from the squad that narrowly escaped defeat by Nigeria 25 years ago but thrashed Nigeria 3-1 in Beijing Games 16 years ago.
Like Nigeria, Brazil have a nice mix of star quality with experience, as well as a number of promising youth players expecting to make the squad just as their new coach, Arthur Elias, joined the team after last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and has since led Brazil to a final in the Gold Cup earlier in the year.
The team looks on the up, and with Brazil recently being announced as the next hosts of the Women’s World Cup, there is plenty of optimism among the nation about its future.
Following Brazil’s women’s Copa America win in 2022, they sealed their spot at the Olympics and are now placed in a group along with Spain, Japan and Nigeria.
Their current group is tough, but with a third-place spot potentially being enough to qualify, Brazil expect to reach the knockout stages. The team operates a 3-4-2-1 formation.
There are several experienced heads in the Brazil squad. Seven of the players are 30 years old or older, which would have given them numerous attempts at both the World Cup and the Olympics in the past.
A further six of the starting eleven for Brazil are in their prime years of their career, between 27 and 30 years old.
This mix of experience, peak performers, and several young stars joining the team makes an exciting combination, shaping up a side ready to battle at the Olympics in the perfect conditions and balance of the squad.
Information gleaned from the publication of Total Football Analysis focuses on Brazil women’s team since Elias took charge in October of last year, and how he has been setting his team up in the past few months.
His most likely starting line-up against the Super Falcons runs thus: Luciano, a 37-year old will be in goal following her strong showing in the Gold Cup earlier this year. In 12 league games for her club, Ferroviaria, she conceded five goals showing the strong form .
Antonia Silva is expected to start at the right side of the back three. She has performed the role in 14 of the coach’s 15 games in charge. In the heart of defence – the centre of the back three, 21-year-old Lauren will likely play.
At left centre-back, Rafaelle has regularly featured in the role. After swapping Arsenal in England’s FA Women’s Super Leaguen for Orlando Pride, she is currently part of the defence which has only conceded eleven goals in thirteen league games.
Adriana, Rafaelle’s teammate, will likely hold the width on the right flank, playing as the wing-back, although she is an attacking-minded player.
Duda Sampaio of Corinthians is reportedly helping her club dominate the league with 12 wins in the 13 opening games of the season from the centre of the pitch.
Although she is a more attack-minded option, her partner, Duda Santos, will attempt to provide some balance. At left wing-back, Yasmim, a natural left-back, will play.
Bia Zaneratto is expected to start on the right-hand side in the front three.
The front three will remain fairly narrow, so even though she has often started as the centre forward for her club and managed nine goal contributions in eight league starts, the role will be fairly similar for Brazil.
On the left side, 38-year-old Brazil legend Marta is expected to play, although she missed the Gold Cup earlier in the year.
Gabi Nunes will lead the line at centre forward after 11 goals in 23 starts for Levante in the Spanish Primera Division.
Similarly, Nigeria has an entirely different squad with only 38-year-old goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi the only survivor of the 2008 Beijing Games and Super Falcons assistant coach Ann Agumanu-Chiejine part of 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup in USA team on the two occasions Nigeria and Brazil have clashed at the world stage.
With US-born head coach Randy Waldrum in charge of the 11-time African champions, Nigeria will set up his team different from when indigenous coaches Mabo and late Joseph Ladipo (Jossy Lad) played Brazil in 1999 and 2008 respectively.
A defensive-minded Waldrum may have studied how his Brazil’s opposite number, Elias sets up the Canarinhas and on Thursday he will come up with a tactical formation that will ensure at least a draw or outright win against Brazil.
But, Nigeria is known to play attacking football and coaches who have applied the talents in any of the national teams- men or women- have always done well in big tournaments like the Olympic Games where Nigerian men’s teams since 1996 till date have won Gold, Silver and bronze medals.
The attacking prowess of a Nigerian team has never been in doubt and
the current Super Falcons is loaded to the hilt with attack-minded players like Chinwendu Ihezuo, Uchenna Kanu, Rasheedat Ajibade, Esther Okoronkwo, Ifeoma Onumonu, Chinonyerem and reigning African Best Player (Women’s) Asisat Lamina Oshoala.
Also in the 18-player roster are attacking midfielders Jennifer Echegini, Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne and Deborah Abiodun who will be supplying the attackers the ball to do damage to opponents.
Also, the rear is solid with first-choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie poised to re-enact what she did in the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand which won her the 2023 CAF Best Goalkeeper Award (Women’s) just as she has reliable backline anchored by ageless defender Osinachi Mavis Ohale.
Oluwatosin Demehin of Stade de Reims, France; Michelle Alozie of Houston Dash, USA; Nicole Payne of Portland Thorns FC, USA and Chidinma Okeke of Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan will also provide cover for the goalkeeper.
To qualify for the 12-team Olympics tournament, the Super Falcons of Nigeria
edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 1-0 on aggregate with a strike from the penalty spot at Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja by Ajibade in the first leg separating Africa’s top two teams over two legs in the month of April as the return leg ended 0-0.
After the first game against Brazil at Stade Bordeaux on 25th July 25, Nigeria will confront Spain on July 28 and face Japan on July 31. The matches against Spain and Japan will hold at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, where the Super Eagles famously defeated tournament favourites Spain 3-2 in a memorable game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals. READ ALSO:
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SUPER FALCONS FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia).
Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Portland Thorns FC, USA); Chidinma Okeke (Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan).
Midfielders: Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA); Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals, USA); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain).
Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (Changchun FC, China); Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA); Chiwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Chinonyerem Macleans (Locomotiv Moscow, Russia).
Olympics Fixtures for Super Falcons Of Nigeria Matches
Match Day 1
Nigeria Vs Brazil
Matmut Atlantique
Thursday July 25
6pm
Match Day 2
Spain vs Nigeria
Stade De La Beaujoire
Sunday July 28
6pm
Match Day 3
Japan vs Nigeria
Stade De La Beaujoire
Wednesday July 31
4 pm
