Nigeria’s Super Falcons are condemned to beat Japan in their final group game and expect a favourable result in other games to stand a chance of qualifying to the next stage as one of best losers in the football event of the ongoing Olympics in Paris.
The Super Falcons lost 1-0 to Spain yesterday, a second consecutive loss with same margin, that leaves them rooted to the bottom go Group C.
Randy Waldrum’s side lacked a finisher to convert the few chances they created, and paid for it when Spain’s Alexia Putellas scored directly from a free-kick in the last minutes of the game.
The side lost in similar fashion to Brazil in their opening game.
In the other group game between Brazil and Japan, Momoko Tanikawa scored a stunning 96th-minute winner as Japan netted twice in injury time to come from behind and beat Brazil 2-1 in the Olympic women’s football tournament, also yesterday.
Japan, the 2012 silver medallists, were staring at a second straight defeat in Group C that would have left them in serious danger of a first-round exit after Jhennifer put Brazil ahead early in the second half.
But captain Saki Kumagai rolled in a 92nd-minute penalty to equalise at the Parc des Princes in Paris before 19-year-old substitute Tanikawa’s incredible first-time shot from 30 metres sailed over the goalkeeper and in for the winner.
The result means Japan and Brazil, silver medallists in 2004 and 2008, are now level on three points after two matches.