Paris 2024: Nigeria vs Japan in history

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The clash between Nigeria’s senior women’s national team and their counterparts from Japan in the women’s football tournament of Paris 2024 Olympics on Wednesday won’t be the first meeting between both sides.

The game will be the third time that the record African champions and the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners will face off at senior women’s national team level.

At the Olympics, the match will be the second meeting after the Athens 2004 Games in Greece.

The first meeting between the two teams took place at the Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Athens, Greece in 2004.

The high-profile match was the only win recorded by the Super Falcons over Japan and at the Olympics.

Vera Okolo scored the solitary goal for the nine time African champions in the 55th minute from Perpetua Nkwocha’s assist.

Nine years later, Japan defeated Nigeria 2-0 in the second meeting between both sides during an international friendly match.

The game took place two years after Japan’s triumph at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup as Aya Miyama (penalty) and Mizuho Sakaguchi scored for the Asian side.

The last time both sides met was two years ago in another friendly match in 2022 where Japan replicated a 2-0 win.

A brace from Mina Tanaka including a penalty in the 68th minute ensured that Japan scored two goals in four second half minutes.

Tanaka is yet to score at the Paris 2024 Olympics and has missed a penalty against Brazil during their 2-1 loss.

Given the fact that two of the last four goals conceded by Super Falcons against Japan came from penalty spots, the team need to avoid conceding another penalty and convert their chances against Japan on Wednesday.

The African heavyweights need a win by two goal margin or more while hoping that Spain beat Brazil to stand any chance of progressing as either the second placed team in Group C or one of the two best third placed teams.

SUPER FALCONS PREVIOUS MEETINGS WITH JAPAN

Japan 0-1 Nigeria (Athens 2004 Olympics group stage)

Japan 2-0 Nigeria (Friendly match, 2013)

Japan 2-0 Nigeria (Friendly match, 2022)