The Super Falcons of Nigeria are out of the women’s football event at the 2024 Paris Olympics following their 3-1 defeat by Japan in the final Group C match at La Beaujoire Stadium, Nantes. This result sealed the fate of Nigeria to a third consecutive loss at the group stage and ended at the bottom of the table with zero points. In all their three matches, the Falcons have leaked in five goals and only able to score once.
What Nigeria needed was a convincing victory over Japan with a margin of at least three goals to sail through. But their game plan flopped as Japan’s Hamano Maika scored in the 22nd minute, with a second coming shortly afterwards by Tanaka Mina.
The Falcons briefly rekindled their hopes when Jennifer Echegini scored in the 42nd minute off of a give-and-go from Asisat Oshoala. The solitary goal was eventually recorded for Nigeria in this competition—a flash of that moment of recovery.
It was Hikaru of Japan who killed any thought of a comeback with a confidently taken free kick just before halftime to seal a 3-1 win for Japan.
With this, it finished the group stage at the top, placed Spain with nine points after the win over Brazil, while Japan finished second to qualify for the next round.
