The Super Falcons of Nigeria again lost their second Olympic match in Group C to World Cup champions Spain 0-1 after narrowly losing to Brazil 0-1 in their opening encounter on Wednesday.
The match took place on Sunday July 28 at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Bordeaux.
Spain dominated possession, testing Nigeria’s goalkeeper Nnadozie with several shots, but none proved too troubling. The Spanish squad, predominantly composed of players from Barcelona and Real Madrid, showcased their cohesion, while Nigeria’s team was a diverse mix of players from 10 countries and 17 different clubs.
After 20 minutes, the match remained goalless, with Spain maintaining their offensive with four shots on target compared to Nigeria’s one.
Nigeria’s captain Ajibade missed a golden opportunity following a great pass from Oshoala, who later received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. With 40 minutes gone, Spain continued to pressure, earning their sixth corner kick of the match. Nnadozie made a brilliant save to deny Spain a late first-half goal, leaving the scoreline 0-0 at halftime.
No goals were scored in the second half either. Nicole Payne replaced Michelle Alozie, and Chinwendu Ihezuo replaced Asisat Oshoala for Nigeria. Spain relentlessly pushed for a goal, but Salma Paralluelo’s shot was blocked by the resilient Super Falcons defense.
As the match neared its end, Spain looked increasingly threatening, with a mistake by Nnadozie nearly leading to a goal.
But heartbreak struck for the Super Falcons, as Alexia Putellas scored in a last-ditch effort to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
Christy Ucheibe was substituted for Uchenna Kanu to give fire to the Falcons as they searched for an equalizer in the remaining moments. Ihezuo seized a brilliant pass from Payne, outmaneuvered two defenders, and found herself one-on-one with the Spanish goalkeeper. Her low shot was superbly saved, leaving the score unchanged.
The Super Falcons have now played two of their Group C matches, earning neither a point nor a goal. Now at the bottom of the table, they are sure to exit the Olympics.
However, they have one more game against Japan on Wednesday, which will not change their exit from the Olympics, but they may use it to reinforce their status as African champions of no small repute.
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