| Super Falcons record
first Olympic victory against Japan
By Ben Memuletiwon, Athens
Sunday, August 15, 2004
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Super
falcon |
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Nigeria’s female football team, Super Falcons on Saturday
pipped Japan 1-0 in the Athens Olympic Games women’s
football event.
A 56th minute goal from unmarked Vera Okolo was all Falcons
needed to break a long time jinx in their Olympics participation.
The keenly contested match which started on a cautious note
saw the Japanese in full control in the first half of the
match but the Nigerian girls had the defence and good goalkeeping
at their mercy.
The Japanese tried all they could to penetrate Falcons defence
but their efforts were proved abortive throughout the first
45 minutes of the game.
It was not so easy for the Falcons who came into the match
as underdogs as they had to fight tooth and nail to breakthrough
Japanese midfield.
Falcons’ Pepetual Nwokocha was at her best in the second
half when she packed three Japanese players from the right
flank to send a neat pass to Okolo who wasted no time in shooting
the ball to the far right of the Japanese net.
The goal further gingered up the Nigerian girls as they rattled
the Asian girls but were unlucky when Stella Mbachu frittered
away a goal bound move.
The victory, however put Nigeria in a good position for the
quarter final ticket. Falcons need to draw or beat Sweden
which fell 0-1 to Japan in their first match in the group
to advance in the competition.
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