The Super Falcons beat Cameroon 1-0 for a chance to qualify for the Olympics.
The Nigerian Super Falcons have advanced closer to securing a spot in the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, following a 1-0 aggregate victory over the Cameroon Indomitable Lionesses in the third round of qualifiers for the Paris 2024 games.
Esther Okoronkwo’s goal in the 14th minute, assisted brilliantly by Jennifer Echegini, proved to be the decisive moment in the match at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Monday evening.
The forward was in the perfect position to slot the ball home as she connected nicely to Echegini’s brilliant run.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie also played a crucial role by making important saves to prevent the Cameroonians from equalizing or securing an away goal, enabling the Falcons to maintain their lead and secure a vital victory in front of their home supporters.
Despite being held to a goalless draw in the first leg of their 2024 Olympic qualifying match against Cameroon at the Reunification Stadium on Friday, the nine-time African champions managed to turn the tables at home. Under the leadership of Randy Waldrum, the team displayed determination to pursue a historic berth at the quadrennial games.
Having reached the quarterfinals at the previous FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Falcons will conclude their quest for an Olympic berth by facing the winner of the third-round matchup between South Africa and Tanzania in April. Africa will send only two teams to the 2024 Olympics.
The victory signifies Nigeria’s advancement to the final round of qualifiers for the women’s football event, marking their first time reaching this stage since 2012. In previous attempts in 2016 (Rio, Brazil) and 2020 (Tokyo, Japan), they were unsuccessful, being eliminated in this round by Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast, respectively. Additionally, today’s win against Cameroon serves as payback for the Super Falcons, who were denied a spot at the 2012 London Olympics by the Indomitable Lions.
Prior to this, the Super Falcons had only participated in the Olympics in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
The 2024 Olympics is scheduled to be held in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
