Afrigather Nigeria’s Tremendous Falcons have exited the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games within the group stage after struggling a 3-1 loss to Japan in Nantes on Wednesday, Soccernet.ng reviews.
Listed below are the 5 takeaways from the defeat.
Nigeria’s fixed lack of focus
Nigeria’s journey on the Paris 2024 Olympics will likely be outlined by the Tremendous Falcons’ lack of focus in key moments.
Towards Spain and Brazil, the Tremendous Falcons have been defensively strong for giant parts of the encounters, conceding targets that appeared to seem out of nowhere.
On Wednesday, in opposition to Japan, the identical drawback surfaced as Nigeria shipped three targets within the first half of a match they badly wanted to win.
Japan’s first two targets arrived from moments when it regarded as if the Tremendous Falcons’ defence took a nap.
The third got here within the final seconds of the half after Nigeria had accomplished properly to cut back the deficit. Such a switch-off in opposition to a facet as medical as Japan was at all times going to be punished.
Jennifer Echegini enters Nigeria’s report books on the Olympics
It was not all doom and gloom, although, as amid the frustration, there was a tiny spark to rejoice.
Jennifer Echegini scored Nigeria’s first purpose on the 2024 Paris Olympics, changing into solely the fourth participant to get a purpose for Nigeria within the match’s historical past.
Mercy Akide stays Nigeria’s most interesting with 4 Olympic targets. Perpetual Nkwocha managed two earlier than she bowed out whereas Vera Okolo scored one in 2004. Echegini has now joined that illustrious checklist.
Nigeria deserved to exit the Olympics
The Tremendous Falcons grabbed the eye of the planet final 12 months once they stayed unbeaten in opposition to formidable foes like Canada, Australia, and England on the FIFA Girls’s World Cup.
Many anticipated a repeat of that feat on the Olympics however the Tremendous Falcons have been lower than spectacular.
Admittedly, it was at all times going to be a troublesome problem after being grouped with world champions Spain, South American champions Brazil, and Asian champions Japan.
Nonetheless, one win over any of those groups would have doubtless been sufficient to get Nigeria to the quarterfinals.
Sadly, in between quite a few wasted probabilities and defensive frailties, the Falcons can look again and actually settle for that they deserved to be out of the Olympics.
Tremendous Falcons want a brand new purpose queen
Nigeria have a wonderful defender in Tosin Demehin and sensible midfielders in Toni Payne, Deborah Abiodun, and Christy Ucheibe.
The standard in assault can also be of a superb stage with the presence of Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, and Chinwendu Ihezuo.
Nonetheless, none of Nigeria’s present strikers assure constant targets and the Tremendous Falcons have struggled to get the ball into the opponent’s web this 12 months.
Ajibade’s penalty was all Nigeria may muster in two qualifying video games in opposition to South Africa and only one in three video games on the Olympics. That’s unacceptable.
Clearly, coach Randy Waldrum must unearth a brand new free-scoring striker within the mould of the good Perpetual Nkwocha. It could possibly be time to advertise kids Esther Ajakaye and Esther Onyenezide to the senior staff.
The way forward for Nigeria is brilliant
One advantage of the Tremendous Falcons is that Randy Waldrum has constructed his staff round younger gamers who, although quick on expertise, are usually not missing in high quality.
Ajibade, Demehin, Abiodun, Ucheibe, Echegini, and Nnadozie are all 23 or beneath. They are going to have extra time to play collectively, enhance collectively, and develop to turn out to be a greater staff.
With these kids on the subsequent World Cup and Olympics, the Tremendous Falcons will make an even bigger impression than they’ve managed these previous few months.
