The Super Falcons fell to Brazil in a narrow defeat during their Olympic opener. Learn about the game and its significant plays.

The Nigerian Super Falcons embarked on their Olympic campaign with a challenging 0-1 defeat against Brazil during the 2024 Paris Games held on Thursday.

Nigeria had a difficult start in their first match, despite arriving in Paris with impressive credentials from their performance at the 2023 FIFA World Cup and an unbeaten streak of eight matches.

Several scoring opportunities were created early on by Nigeria during the match in Bordeaux but they failed to capitalize.

It was anticipated that the Super Falcons would either seize the lead or at minimum, restrain Brazil to a draw during halftime. However, Gabi Nunez’s goal just before half time resulted in Nigeria lagging and requiring a resurgence in the subsequent half.

Brazil’s solid defense largely thwarted the Super Falcons’ efforts after halftime. Nigeria tried tactical changes and fresh substitutions to find an equalizer, but their attempts were unsuccessful in breaching the Brazilian backline.

The Super Falcons are set to take on Spain, the current world champions, in a tough encounter scheduled for July 28. Following that game, they will go against Japan on July 31.

2-1 was the final score as Spain emerged victorious over Japan in their Group C matchup. The US secured a dominant 3-0 win against Zambia, while France dominated Colombia with a commanding 3-0 victory in Group A of the tournament.