South Africa 0-0 Nigeria (0-1 agg): Super Falcons end 16-year wait to qualify for Olympics

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team has qualified for the women’s football event of the Olympics after playing out a 0-0 draw with African champions, South Africa in the return leg of the final round of the qualifiers.

The Super Falcons had beaten the Banyana Banyana 1-0 in the first leg thanks to Rasheedat Ajibade’s penalty.

Ahead of the match, Nigeria’s coach, Randy Waldrum asserted that his side doesn’t need to change their style of play because they are playing away.

“Well, I think we will have a similar approach to the game back in Nigeria,” Waldrum told SABC Sports.

“We will still have to get the result even though we had the first result, it doesn’t matter. It’s a massive game for both teams.

“I think we will have to play our game. We respect what South Africa will bring to the table as they are a good side but we can’t just change just because we are on the road.

“I like our team play defensively. We are organised. It is important we do the things we do well, we shouldn’t be concerned about the players on the other side of the field.”

The nine-time African champions got the deserved result after denying the second-ranked African side on the continent goal-scoring chances.

South Africa had more ball possession but could not translate them into goals as the Super Falcons staged a return to the Olympics with a 1-0 win on aggregate.

The last time the team qualified for the women’s football event of the Olympics was in Beijing 2008.

They will join World champions Spain, 2011 World Cup winners Japan, and Copa America winners Brazil in Group C of the Olympics.