Olympics Qualifier: Optimism as Falcons depart for South Africa Sunday night to face Banyana on Tuesday

Despite their slim lead against South Africa, members of the football family in Nigeria are optimistic the Super Falcons will beat their South African counterpart on Tuesday in Pretoria to pick the ticket for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

 The Falcons will depart Nigeria on Sunday night in preparation for Tuesday’s second leg of the final round match.

On Friday, at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Captain Rasheedat Ajibade’s 42nd-minute penalty goal was the difference between the reigning African champions South Africa and nine-time champions Nigeria.

Since the Falcons are just 1-0 ahead on aggregate, there is still a lot to play for in Tuesday’s return leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

According to a statement from the NFF, the Super Falcons will jet out of the country on Sunday night for the return leg of their Olympic Games qualifier against South Africa.

Banyana Banyana returned to Johannesburg on Saturday.

The overall winners will pick one of Africa’s two tickets for the women’s football event in Paris in 2024. The Copper Queens of Zambia and Atlas Lionesses of Morocco are battling for the other ticket.

The Super Falcons last featured at the Olympics 16 years ago in Beijing, China.

Despite holding a slim 1-0 win lead Falcons striker, Esther Okoronkwo believes the nine-time African champions will seal qualification in Pretoria next Tuesday.

“For me, we’re going to Paris,” Okoronkwo told Punch newspapers.

Former  Falcons star, Stella Mbachu, also expressed confidence in the team’s quest to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.

“We must qualify for the Olympics. We are going to win them over there. The Falcons dominated them (Banyana) in the first leg despite their defensive tactics in Abuja. We have the strength and pace to see them off in the second leg in South Africa. It is time we qualify because history will remember these girls for that feat.”