Maiko Hamano broke the impasse for Japan within the twenty second minute earlier than Mina Tanaka added the sport’s second. Jennifer Echegini pulled one again for Nigeria simply earlier than half-time, and some minutes later, Japan’s Hikaru Kitagawa lifted a superbly curled free-kick into Chiamaka Nnadozie’s objective to extreme Nigeria’s hope of a spot within the Paris 2024 Olympics quarter-finals.
Soccernet.ng charges the efficiency of the Nigerian gamers as they fell to a 3-1 defeat towards Japan on the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.
1. Chiamaka Nnadozie 6/10: The Paris FC goalkeeper was left in no man’s land by the objectives Japan scored. Her show maintained glimpses of her potential, and he or she’ll have higher days.
2. Michelle Alozie 6/10: The Houston Sprint full-back had arguably her greatest recreation of the Olympics. She burst ahead with attacking intent a number of occasions however was defensively telling.
3. Oluwatosin Demehin 6.5/10: The Reims defender had a good shift within the centre of the Nigerian defence. Her passes and runs ahead helped the Tremendous Falcons maintain possession and construct momentum from the again.
4. Osinachi Ohale 4/10: The Pachuca defender struggled along with her decision-making. Her passes have been additionally mistimed, as she misplaced possession too many occasions. Nonetheless, she was locked in along with her aerial and floor duels. She was pressured off with an damage as the sport ended.
5. Chidinma Okeke 3/10: The Mynavi Sendai Girls defender had a horrible recreation. She misplaced her marker twice, which led to Japan’s opening two objectives. Her positional consciousness wasn’t nice, and he or she appeared not sure of her most popular foot. She was changed in the course of the half-time break by Nicole Payne.
6. Deborah Abiodun 6.3/10: The Pittsburgh Panthers defensive midfielder was composed in possession and tried to construct the Tremendous Falcons’ assault from the center of the park. She was pressured off by an damage within the seventy fifth minute and was changed by Esther Okoronkwo.
7. Christy Ucheibe 6.5/10: S.L Benfica midfielder’s fast pondering gave the return ball to Echegini, who scored Nigeria’s solely objective in France.
8. Jennifer Echegini 6.8/10: The brand new PSG signing scored an excellent objective after an excellent change of passes with Ucheibe, firing a left-footed shot into the highest nook of Ayama Yamashita’s objective.
9. Toni Payne 6/10: The Everton midfielder had a quiet recreation regardless of taking part in within the quantity 10 place. This was as a result of she dropped deep to assist the workforce defensively.
10. Rasheedat Ajibade 5.5/10: It wasn’t the very best of the video games from the Tremendous Falcons’ captain. She was unable to muster something significant or artistic all through the sport, and he or she appeared jaded afterward.
11. Asisat Oshoala 5/10: The Bay FC ahead didn’t have a sniff of objective in her 59 minutes on the pitch. She was changed by Chiwendu Ihezuo.
Substitutes
Nicole Payne 6.2/10: The Portland Thorns defender restricted Japan’s attacking risk on the suitable after approaching for Okeke. She was respectable going ahead and was integral in breaking apart the opposition’s assault within the second half.
Chiwendu Ihezuo 5/10: The CF Pachuca ahead, just like the participant she changed, had no sniff of objective in her time on the pitch as Nigeria bowed out of the Paris 2024 Olympics on the group stage.
Esther Okoronkwo: The U.D. Tenerife striker performed simply fifteen minutes on the flank, however her introduction sparked life into the Nigerian assault. Nonetheless, it was too late.
Uchenna Kanu: Changed the injured Osinachi Ohale within the ninetieth minute.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and author at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a monitor report of involvement in School sports activities, Adefolahan is concentrated on crafting partaking soccer content material and utilising his language abilities and intensive sports activities information to reinforce content material accessibility for a worldwide viewers.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.