Paris Olympics: Super Falcons and Brazil express confidence as they clash Thursday evening
Super Falcons begins their quest for a gold medal in football and the team head coach, Randy Waldrum says his side are a lot better than they were at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Waldrum’s side made it to the Round of 16 at the World Cup, impressing against big guns Canada, Australia, and England.
The Super Falcons have lost only once since the second-round defeat to the Three Lionesses of England.
The West Africans beat arch-rivals South Africa to secure a place at the Olympics.
They will face Brazil, Spain, and Japan in the group stage in Paris.
Waldrum said his players are battle-ready for the task ahead.
“I like what I have been seeing. We had a good time in Spain and since we arrived in France, it’s been fantastic,” Waldrum told reporters.
“The players are ready to go. We are in better condition than we were a year ago.
“The team has continued to improve since the World Cup. Hopefully, we will see that when we face Brazil, a very good side.”
Brazil head coach Arthur Elias is also confident ahead of Thursday’s clash with Nigeria.
“The commitment of the team is great. We have got an increasingly strong group of players, and we have a unity of thought. This is an important factor for the team to advance in such a difficult competition and also to win in the knockout phase,” Elias told fifa.com on Wednesday.
Bay FC striker and record six-time African Women’s Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, firmly believes the 11-time African champions will not only progress from the group but also finish with a medal.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team. We have many young players, and we can make things difficult for our opponents. We don’t just think about getting out of the group; I think we can walk away with a medal,” the former FC Barcelona striker said in a separate interview with fifa.com on Wednesday. Nigeria are returning to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time since 2008. They are the most experienced African nation, with three previous appearances at the Games.
Brazil has won both previous meetings between these two teams. They triumphed 4-3 after extra time in the 1999 Women’s World Cup quarter-final and 3-1 in the group stage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Randy Waldrum’s team needs a positive result against Brazil to boost their morale for the remaining two group matches against Spain on July 28 at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes and Japan at the same venue on July 31.
Nigeria v Brazil
Stade de Bordeaux
Kick-off: 19:00
