National Teams
Japan fire Paris Olympic warning to Nigeria with New Zealand thrashing
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Japan are showing their red-hot form to opponents Nigeria at this year’s Olympic women’s football tournament with a 4-1 friendly win against 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosts, New Zealand on Monday.
The international test match was the second in the series between both sides after the Asian side secured am initial 2-0 win in the first leg encounter.
The Football Ferns scored the first goal of the match as Ally Gree set up Emily Clegg in the 22nd minute to have a first-half lead. Four minutes into the second half, the former world champions restored parity thanks to Maika Hamano.
On the hour mark, Yui Hasegawa assisted Hamano for the second goal. Six minutes later, Hinata Miyazawa set up Aoba Fujino for the third goal while Remina Chiba made it 4-1 for the Nadeshikos from Miyabi Moriya’s assist.
The Super Falcons will face Japan in the last group game at the Olympics at the Matmut Atlantique, Bordeaux on July 13. Interestingly, the tie will be the third meeting between both sides in recent times in which Japan had won the last two encounters by 2-0.
The nine-time African champions’ lone win was a 1-0 success in the group stage of the Athens 2004 Olympics thanks to Vera Okolo’s 55th-minute strike.
Randy Waldrum’s side will hope to replicate a similar feat in France after meeting Spain and Brazil in the same group.
