With the 2019 Women’s World Cup kicking off on Friday, we here at For The Win wanted to preview every team that will feature in this tournament. Next up is the Nigeria women’s national team. You can see the full list of team previews, and read about the USWNT, here.
Nigeria Group A schedule
Saturday, June 8, 3 p.m. ET vs. Norway
Wednesday, June 12, 9 a.m. ET vs. South Korea
Monday, June 17, 3 p.m. ET vs. France
Key players
Asisat Oshoala
A forward who plays her club soccer for Barcelona, Oshoala is one of Nigeria’s most talented scorers, and she’s been in solid form during World Cup tune-up season. Oshoala faced many of the French stars she’ll see in Group A in the 2019 Champions League final, which was won by Olympique Lyonnais.
Desire Oparanozie
Oparanozie plays her club soccer in France, and she’ll captain the Super Falcons in a tough group that the team won’t be favored to advance from. Oparanozie made her debut for the national team in 2010, and played in each of the last two World Cups, but has yet to score a goal for her country on the biggest stage (she scored an own goal against Sweden in the 2015 group stage).
Recent World Cup history
Nigeria has qualified for every Women’s World Cup since 1991, but has only made it out of the group stage once, in 1999. Nigeria did not qualify for each of the last two Olympic tournaments, but is an 11-time winner of the CAF Women’s Championship.
What experts are saying about Nigeria:
Via Solomon Fowowe for The Guardian:
“The Super Falcons play a fluid attacking system based on quick transitions into the pacy attackers. Despite the inexhaustible Rita Chikwelu plugging several holes in midfield alongside Halimatu Ayinde, there are spaces there for opponents to exploit with the ageless Onome Ebi and the defense needing to keep a high defensive line.
The defense looked strong at the Awcon, conceding just one goal throughout the tournament, but the friendlies before the World Cup revealed a weakness in set-piece situations.”
How to be a fan
You can follow the team on Twitter @NGSuper_Falcons.
