After 16 years, the Super Falcons qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the expense of a spirited and boastful
Bayana Bayana of South Africa in Pretoria.
The Nigerian girls were excellent in the first half, creating opportunities and controlling the game’s tempo, but both teams were at a standstill.
The reigning African Women Champion, Bayana Bayana, struggled to get their passing game going with home fans at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria fidgety.
The encounter in Pretoria was a game of two halves, as South Africa were a lot more dangerous after the break as they chased for a go-ahead goal.
The Nigerian goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, was the busiest of the two in the second half, as she kept out the spirited South Africans with beautiful saves to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive.
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With both teams unable to find the net after 90 minutes, the Nigerian team qualified on goal aggregate after the 1-0 victory at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The Falcons, who reached the quarter-final at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, have now qualified for the women’s football event for the first time since 2008.
They lost in the third round of qualifiers in 2016 (Rio, Brazil) and 2020 (Tokyo, Japan) to Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast respectively.
The Falcons have only previously played at the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
It will be the first time Nigeria will qualify for the Olympics since 2008.