National Teams
Paris 2024 Qualifiers: Super Falcons aim to extend unbeaten streak in South Africa
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
When Nigeria’s senior women’s national team faces their counterparts from South Africa away from home in the return leg of the Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifiers, the nine-time African champions will strive to uphold their unblemished record in South Africa.
Since 1995, the Super Falcons have not tasted defeat in any senior women’s national team match on South African soil. Their dominance was particularly evident on 19th March 1995 when they triumphed 7-1 against the Banyana Banyana in a FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying match held in Johannesburg.
Despite numerous attempts, Banyana Banyana has failed to overcome the Super Falcons in any encounter played on their home turf since that historic match.
In the seven previous encounters within South Africa, Nigeria emerged victorious in five, while two matches ended in draws. The only instances where the Banyana managed to hold the Falcons were on 12th March 2004 (a 2-2 draw in an Athens Olympics qualifier) and in a friendly match on 3rd June 2012, which ended 1-1.
Banyana Banyana still seeks their inaugural victory over the Falcons in any match played in South Africa.
In total, out of 24 previous encounters (with seven held in South Africa), Nigeria has claimed victory in 15, with five draws and South Africa securing victory on four occasions.
Notably, one of the drawn games was the final match of the 11th Women Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria ultimately prevailed 4-3 after a penalty shootout in Accra.
Rasheedat Ajibade, the current captain of the team, demonstrated her prowess by scoring Nigeria’s last two goals against South Africa, securing a 1-0 win in Abuja during the first leg and contributing to a 2-1 loss during the group stage of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The highly anticipated match is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 pm South African time (6:30 pm Nigeria time) at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, on Tuesday.
