Afrigather Nigeria will kick off their quest to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Video games with a conflict towards Ethiopia on the Abebe Bikila Stadium, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
It’s the Tremendous Falcons’ first match since shedding on penalties to England within the knockout rounds of the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summertime.
The Falcons have been wonderful at that event, as they performed for video games with out struggling a defeat in regulation time.
Other than a formidable 3-2 victory over co-hosts Australia, the previous African champions have been held to thrilling attracts by Canada and the Republic of Eire.
However the disappointment of the penalty shootout defeat to England would have waned when the Tremendous Falcons file out towards Ethiopia within the first leg of their Olympic Video games qualifying marketing campaign.
Nigeria begin as one of many favourites to make it to the occasion in Paris subsequent yr, however the nine-time WAFCON winners have had a horrible report within the competitors in latest occasions.
The Falcons, who’ve made it to each version of the World Cup, have solely appeared on the Olympic Video games on three events.
Whereas they’re the one African nation to have contested the Girls’s Olympic Match thrice, Nigeria haven’t certified for the video games since 2008.
Equatorial Guinea knocked out the Falcons through the qualifiers in 2015, whereas Côte d’Ivoire dashed Nigeria’s desires in 2019.
Ethiopia will purpose to do injury this time, with the Lucy unbeaten in regulation time in every of their final 5 video games in all competitions.
That run consists of victories over Chad (twice) and Tanzania, however the Falcons are a number of notches above these oppositions.
Nigeria will likely be favourites to outclass Ethiopia, who’ve by no means certified for a serious international competitors and final graced the Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.
Head-to-head
Nigeria defeated Ethiopia 7-0 on October 9, 2003, in Lagos on the All-Africa Video games, and it stays the heaviest loss Lucy have suffered in worldwide soccer.
Nevertheless, the final time these two groups met was through the group stage on the Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, with Nigeria claiming a 3-0 win.
Workforce Information
Head coach Randy Waldrum will not be available for this first-leg fixture as he has commitments with the College of Pittsburgh Panthers ladies’s group, the place he additionally serves as the pinnacle coach.
Waldrum will likely be accessible for the second leg, although. The American tactician’s Nigerian assistants – Justin Madugu, Ann Chiejine, and Auwal Makwalla – have been in command of group coaching in Addis Ababa.
Three of Nigeria’s key gamers on the World Cup in July – Ashleigh Plumptre, Halimotu Ayinde, and Christy Ucheibe – can even miss the video games.
However there are a number of first-team regulars in camp to prosecute the match, together with in-form Paris FC goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala, Stade de Reims’ defensive ace Oluwatosin Demehin, and Atletico Madrid ahead Rasheedat Ajibade.
A couple of kids have additionally been invited to the nationwide group set-up, together with Esther Onyenezide and Opeyemi Ajakaye.
Ethiopia v Nigeria
All occasions are native time
First leg – 25 October (15:30)
Abebe Bikila Stadium, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Second leg – 31 October (16:00)
MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta (Nigeria)
