By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria on Wednesday lost 1-3 to Japan in the women’s football event at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Nigerian team mostly known as the Super Falcons confirmed their exit after they fail to post any victory in the group matches.
They had lost to Brazil and Spain in the first and second games.
Their latest loss to the Asians turned out to be their biggest loss of the tournament as they return home without a point from their first outing at the Olympics in 16 years.
After 0-1 defeats by Brazil and Spain in their two earlier matches, the Falcons were expected to throw the kitchen sink at the Asian champions.
Instead, the Nadeshiko were two goals up just a little after the half-hour mark, both goals scored within 10 minutes interval.
Mika Hamano fired past goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to give the Asian champions the lead after 22 minutes, and in the 32nd, Mina Tanaka doubled the lead, leaving the nine-time African champions with a heavy burden to lift to stand a chance of victory.
Jennifer Echegini briefly gave hope of that possibility, with a brilliant strike with three minutes to go into recess, but the Japanese restored their two-goal advantage in added time of first half when Hamano got her second with a superb free-kick.
The much-expected revamp in the second half failed to materialise, and the Super Falcons have departed the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France without making a single point and scoring only one goal in their three matches.
The team coached by an American Randy Waldrum will now have to return to the drawing board as many football enthusiasts believe that most of its members have lost steam due to age and experience issues.
