Captain Rasheedat Ajibade scored from the penalty spot to give the Super Falcons a 1-0 win over the Banyana Banyana of South Africa in the first leg of the 2024 Olympic Games qualifier played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja yesterday.
Coach Randy Waldrum benched the African Footballer of Years Asisat Oshoala who arrived late for the match as the American named Pachuca forward, Chinwendu Ihezuo as her replacement in the attack.
The coach was also without Ashleigh Plumptre and Oluwatosin Demehin, who pulled out of the clash due to injury.
Ihezuo came close inside five minutes after a ball from Jennifer Echegini found her in space, but her effort went wide. She headed towards the goal from a Chidinma Okeke cross in the 18th minute, but the outcome of her attempt was the same as the first.
Her resilience paid off with four minutes left before the half-time whistle. A mazy run from the 26-year-old striker saw her tripped by South Africa’s Niko in the box.
Atletico De Madrid Femenino winger, Ajibade, stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick. The Nigerian winger sent the ball to the right-hand side of the goal. South Africa’s Kaylin Swart got a hand to it, but it wasn’t enough to keep the ball from going in.
The second started with Nigeria piling the pressure on. Ajibade sent Uchenna Kanu through on goal in the 52nd minute, but the Racing Louisville FC striker sent her attempt wide.
The team held on for a vital win ahead of the encounter’s return leg in Pretoria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on April 9.
The winner of the two-legged tie between Nigeria and South Africa will earn one of Africa’s two tickets to the women’s football event at the Paris Olympics, with Zambia and Morocco battling for the other ticket.
The 2024 Olympics is billed to take place in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
The last time the Falcons played at the Olympic Games was in Beijing in 2008.
