Nigeria on the brink as Super Falcons lose 0-1 to Spain
29 July 2024 |
4:14 am
Nigeria’s hopes of making any lasting impression at the women’s football event of the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games got another dent, yesterday, when the Super Falcons lost to world champions, Spain, in their second game of the competition. Nigeria went into the competition as Africa’s biggest hope of a medal in women’s football…
Nigeria’s hopes of making any lasting impression at the women’s football event of the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games got another dent, yesterday, when the Super Falcons lost to world champions, Spain, in their second game of the competition.
Nigeria went into the competition as Africa’s biggest hope of a medal in women’s football following its credible performance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. But the Super Falcons failed to make good use of their chances in their opening game against Brazil, which they lost by a lone goal.
That defeat notwithstanding, many optimists believed that the Super Falcons would get a decent result, yesterday, even though they were facing the world champions.
However, that was not to be as the Super Falcons, who held the European champions to a goalless 85 minutes of the game, succumbed to an Alex Putellas’ free kick, which deceived goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie for the world champions’ winner.
Nigeria had an opportunity to even score in the 91st minute, but substitute Uchenna Ihezuo hit the ball on Spain’s goalkeeper, Cata Coll, to snuff off the chance.
The game was evenly matched in the opening half with the Super Falcons giving as much as they received from the Europeans. Spain had the ball in the net early in the second half, but Salma Paralluelo’s strike was adjudged to have been scored from an offside position.
With the let-off, the Super Falcons took the battle to their more illustrious opponents, but a combination of poor timing and indecision in the box cost them goal-scoring opportunities.
With Osinachi Ohale and Nnadozie in top form, the world champions were confounded and almost settling for a draw when former world footballer of the year, Putellas, lofted the freekick that deceived Nnadozie for Spain’s winning goal.
Yesterday’s loss made Super Falcons’ survival in Group C more difficult as their next opponents, Japan, defeated Brazil 2-1 in the other game of the group. Brazil was running away with a 1-0 lead late into the game when Japan was awarded a penalty, which Saki Kumagai calmly side-footed beyond Lorena.
Then, before anyone in the stadium could catch their breath, Momoko Tanikawa capitalised on a defensive mishap to loft a stunning 25-yard shot into the South Americans’ net.
With the victory, Japan, who fell 1-2 to Spain on Wednesday, has the same three points as Brazil, while Spain leads Group C with six points. Nigeria, without any point, can still qualify for the second round if they beat Japan and Spain beat Brazil in the group’s last games. That is the only way they can qualify as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition.
Sport
11 hours ago
One of Nigeria’s leading sports for change NGO, Community Sport, and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, has completed a two-day seminar on netball for physical education (P.E) Teachers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
11 hours ago
The South West Games has the potential to become the biggest breeding ground for talented athletes capable of winning medals for Nigeria, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has said.
12 hours ago
The boost the morale of Delta State athletes and officials ahead of this year’s National Sports Festival, which will be held in Ogun State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has approved a cash award regime for Team Delta stars, who topped the medals table at the 21st edition of the Games, tagged Asaba 2022.
12 hours ago
The Scouting and Mentorship Committee of the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) is poised to discover and showcase the best budding athletes from the Niger Delta region during the event that will hold from April 1 to 8 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, its chairman, Godwin Enakhena, has said.
1 day ago
Carlos Alcaraz will take a softly-softly approach as he vies to become just the third man to win three straight titles at Indian Wells, where he could find a member of that exclusive club, Novak Djokovic, standing in his way in the quarter-finals. "I will try not to think about it," Alcaraz said of his…
1 day ago
Women's World Cup winner Yuki Nagasato, who made history with a brief spell playing for a men's team, said she had given "every last drop" as the Japanese striker announced her retirement from football. The 37-year-old, part of the Japan team that lifted the World Cup in 2011, brought the curtain down on a 23-year…
1 day ago
LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points on Tuesday, extending his lead as the league's all-time record scorer by reaching a milestone tally that may never be surpassed. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar went into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with 49,999 regular and postseason points…
1 day ago
Real Madrid claimed a small edge on city rivals Atletico Madrid with a tight 2-1 Champions League last-16 first leg win on Tuesday. Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico after Rodrygo Goes sent the hosts ahead, but Brahim Diaz stroked home the winner for the record 15-time winners to delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. "I think…
1 day ago
Arsenal's talented teenage duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri combined on Tuesday to help the Gunners to an imperious 7-1 Champions League last-16 first leg advantage over a shambolic PSV Eindhoven. The Premier League side were on a different level to the struggling Dutch champions, who were condemned to their worst-ever defeat in European football.…
1 day ago
In-form Bayer Leverkusen forward, Nathan Tella, former captain, Ahmed Musa, Gabriel Osho of France’s Auxerre and Kelechi Iheanacho, who now plays for Middlesbrough in the English second-tier league, are among 39 players listed in Coach Eric Sekou Chelle..
×
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.