Super Falcons in make or mar qualifier against Banyana Banyana today

Super Falcons players celebrate a goal in one of the qualifiers

Since featuring at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in China, the Super Falcons have missed three editions of the Games in London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020).

In the battle for London 2012, the Super Falcons, led then by former striker, Uche Eucharia, lost the ticket to the Lionesses of Cameroon in a game decided through penalty shootout.  And in the race to Rio 2016, the Super Falcons were knocked out by Equatorial Guinea, who won 2-1 in Bata. Then, the Nigerians managed a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Abuja to wave goodbye to the ticket on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.

For the qualifiers to Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Super Falcons lost to Cote d’Ivoire through the away goal rule, after a 1-1 aggregate over two legs. The Nigerians had recorded a goalless draw in Abidjan, only to play 1-1 at Agege Stadium in Lagos. That setback came shortly after coach Thomas Dennerby’s sudden resignation from the team.

Now, an opportunity to make the party to Paris 2024 Olympic Games is here this afternoon at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, where the Super Falcons face host, Banyana Banyana, in a match the Nigerians need a draw of any colour to scale through.

After losing 0-1 to the Super Falcons in the first leg in Abuja on Friday, coach of Banyana Banyana, Desiree Ellis, said her team would do the job today in Pretoria.

A 43rd-minute goal from the penalty spot by Atletico Madrid winger, Rasheedat Ajibade, gave Nigeria the edge on Friday at the MKO Abiola Stadium.

While the South Africans returned to Pretoria immediately after the tie in Abuja, the Super Falcons arrived in the rainbow nation yesterday morning. The Nigerians trained only once on