Against all odds, Nigeria beats S’Africa to qualify for Paris 2024 Olympics

The Nigerian contingent celebrating Super Falcons’ qualification for Paris 2024 Olympics after their goalless draw with the Banyana Banyana in Pretoria, South Africa…yesterday.

Nigeria will return to the Olympic Games’ women’s football event for the first time since the Beijing 2008 edition following a goalless draw in their last qualifying tie with South Africa last night.

Nigeria won the first leg of the qualifier by 1-0 in Abuja on Friday and needed to keep a clean sheet yesterday in Pretoria to be sure of returning to the second biggest football event in the world after 16 years.

Against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa, who have had the better of their visitors since 2021, Nigeria was expected to walk through the proverbial eye of the needle to make the Paris 2024 list.

The Falcons’ task, according to pundits, was made more difficult by their poor build up to the two-legged tie, with the South Africans having the advantage of more preparation time and also playing the decisive leg at home.

With a 1-0 lead, Super Falcons were also expected to crumble in South Africa’s high altitude and boos from baying Banyana Banyana fans. But the Falcons, yesterday, were masterful in their approach to the game, restricting the South Africans to pot shots from afar in the first half.

The second half was a more open affair as the South Africans, desperate for the lone goal that would take the game to extra time, added more valve to their attack, but they found a well-marshalled defence led by Osinachi Ohale difficult to breach.

Nigeria had the first strike on target in the first half with Chinwendu Ihezuo’s header off a Rasheedat Ajibade cross, but South Africa’s goalkeeper Kylan Swart was equal to the task.

In the second half, Falcons’