Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after edging fierce rivals South Africa 1-0 on aggregate following a 0-0 draw in Pretoria on Tuesday, April 9.
The win over South Africa gave Nigeria passage to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, ending a 16-year wait for participation in the competition.
The Super Falcons brought a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the tie after winning the first leg in Abeokuta thanks to a solitary goal.
The first half was expectedly a cagey affair as both teams cancelled each other out and the second half played to a similar pattern as the Super Falcons held on for a crucial 0-0 draw against the hosts.
The Super Falcons had their best chance of the match in the second half, but Uchenna Kanu’s effort went begging as the tie remained goalless.
Despite being the home side, South Africa’s attack was expertly marshalled by Nigeria, and the Banyana Banyana failed to create any real openings of note to threaten the Super Falcons.
In the end, Rasheedat Ajibade’s first-half goal in the home tie was enough to help Nigeria claim a place in Paris.
