Nigeria’s Super Falcons are set for a pivotal encounter against world champions Spain in their second Group C match of the Paris 2024 Olympic women’s football tournament on Sunday.
The match, to be held at the historic Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, comes 26 years after a memorable World Cup clash between the two nations at the same venue.
Spain enter the match with momentum, having edged Japan 2-1 in their opening fixture. The victory puts them top of Group C with three points. In contrast, Nigeria suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Brazil, leaving them in urgent need of a positive result to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
Falcons Randy Waldrum is expected to largely maintain the lineup that started against Brazil, with a potential tactical shift seeing Michelle Alozie move to left-back. This change would allow Nicole Payne, who impressed as a substitute against Brazil, to start on the right side of defence.
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade acknowledged the team’s missed opportunities in their opener, stating, “We missed quite a few chances against Brazil, and they took their chance. We will do our best to take our chances against Spain on Sunday.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nigerian time.