Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade vows to take chances against Spain

On Sunday, July 28, 26 years after their unforgettable matchup at the Stade de la Beaujoire in the FIFA World Cup finals, the flags of Nigeria and Spain will fly in Nantes.

Pre-tournament favorites Spain was one of the strongest teams in the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, whereas Nigeria, who had just lost a friendly match against The Netherlands 1–5, was a major underdog in the match on June 13, 1998 in Nantes.

The 33rd Olympiad Women's Olympic Football Tournament will feature a matchup between European powerhouse Spain and African heavyweights Nigeria on Sunday. Both teams enter the contest with very different results from their opening games.

The nine-time African champions were defeated by Brazil with an own goal, and they will need to win all three points on Sunday to revive their hopes of qualifying for the round of eight.

Meanwhile, the world champions defeated fierce Japan 2-1 to take first place in Group C with three points.

Coach Randy Waldrum might stick with the lineup that faced Brazil on Thursday because there are no injuries in camp.

However, Michelle Alozie might start at left back to give Nicole Payne—who came on strong against the South Americans—room to operate on the right side of defense.

Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade spoke to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on what the team needs to do against Spain.

Ajibade who plays for Atletico Madrid in Spain says they will need to convert the chances they missed against Spain in their second group game.

She said, “We missed quite a few chances against Brazil, and they took their chance.

"We will do our best to take our chances against Spain on Sunday.”

The game between Nigeria and Spain will take place at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, in France on Sunday July, 28 2024.

The game will kick off at 6 PM Nigerian time and will be available on Supersport.