Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum once again put up a defensive masterclass to qualify Nigeria for this year’s Olympics in Paris after the Super Falcons forced the Banyana Banyana of South Africa to a 0-0 draw to seal their progress.
The Falcons took a seemingly slender 1-0 advantage to Tuesday’s game after winning the final qualifying round first leg encounter in Abuja on Friday but Waldrum’s side frustrated their hosts to hold on to the first leg advantage.
Waldrum named an unchanged starting lineup to the side that won in Abuja but perhaps the instruction was different as the Super Falcons of Nigeria harangued and harassed their opponents off the park at the Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria on Tuesday.
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Nigeria indeed had the better chance to score in the first half but Uchenna Kanu’s effort after a good word by the team down the right flank was block even before she could make proper contact. That came after Chinwendu Ihezuo had seen her header grabbed by South African goalkeeper Kaylin Swart.
With Kanu coming off at half time for Toni Payne, South Africa increased the tempo in the second half but ultimately met a brick wall in the Nigerian defence well marshaled by midfielder Christy Ucheibe who excelled playing as an emergency centre back in both legs.
The few occasions the Banyana Banyana managed to have a sniff of the Nigerian goal, France based goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was equal to the task.
Nigeria’s progress means that it was the first time in sixteen years that the Super Falcons will qualify to play at the Olympics Women’s Football Event having last featured in 2008 in Beijing, China. None of the the current set of Falcons was in that team.
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Waldrum will face another big task as Nigeria have been drawn in Group C of the Olympics alongside Japan, Spain and Brazil. The Super Falcons will face Brazil in their opening match in Bordeaux on July 25.
Nigeria XI at South Africa
Nnadozie; Alozie, Ohale, Ucheibe, Okeke; Ayinde, Abiodun, Echegini (Okoronkwo 68’); Ajibade, Kanu (T. Payne 46’) Ihezuo (Oshoala 83’)
