Paris 2024: Jennifer Echegini makes history with goal vs Japan

By Monsurah Olatunji 

Nigeria international Jennifer Echegini has etched her name in Nigeria’s women’s football history by scoring against Japan at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris.

The Super Falcons faced a 3-1 defeat to the Nadeshiko, concluding their tournament run with no points from three matches.

Echegini, newly signed by PSG, started in Nigeria’s opening 1-0 loss to Brazil but was benched for the subsequent 1-0 loss to Spain. She was then entrusted to start in the final game and justified Randy Waldrum’s decision by scoring.

The 23-year-old netted Nigeria’s first and only goal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the fourth player in history to score an Olympic goal for the team. Her 41st-minute strike marked the Super Falcons’ eighth Olympic goal since their debut in 2000.

This goal was Echegini’s second for the Super Falcons and her first in a major tournament, following her initial international goal in a 3-0 friendly win over New Zealand in Turkey last year.

Prior to Echegini, only three players had scored for the Super Falcons at the Olympics. Mercy Akide leads with four goals, while Perpetua Nkwocha scored Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic goal in Sydney 2000 and added another in Athens 2004. Vera Okolo scored the lone goal at the 2008 Olympics.

Despite these achievements, Nigeria has won only one match at the Olympics, with their best performance being in 2004 when they reached the quarterfinals.