Paris 2024: Super Falcons, Canada clash in final Olympic warm-up

Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Canada’s senior women’s team are set to clash for the second time this year on Wednesday in a closed-doors training match in Malaga ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The encounter serves as the final test for both teams ahead of the Paris Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, which kicks off in France.

The match will commence at 6:30pm local time in Spain (5:30pm Nigeria time) at the La Quinta Football Centre in Malaga. This game also marks the conclusion of the Super Falcons’ training camp in Spain.

Both teams previously faced each other in a hard-fought FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B opener on July 21, 2023, at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, which ended in a 0-0 draw. In that match, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie made a pivotal contribution by saving a penalty kick from veteran Christine Sinclair and recorded 14 other crucial saves.

Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum is unlikely to make significant changes to the squad that played in the previous match, although defender Ashleigh Plumptre and forward Francisca Ordega, who started that encounter, are not part of the squad in Spain.

Waldrum is expected to stick with goalkeeper Nnadozie, defenders Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin, and Michelle Alozie, possibly including Chidinma Okeke. In midfield, Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe, and Deborah Abiodun are likely to feature prominently.

The strike force may see changes, with captain Rasheedat Ajibade returning after missing the earlier clash with Canada due to a red card received in the Women’s AFCON semi-final against Morocco in July 2022. Ajibade is expected to be joined by Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo in the attack.

The nine-time African champions will depart for France on Thursday, where they will engage in further training for a week ahead of their first match of the tournament against Brazil at Stade Bordeaux on Thursday, July 25.

Super Falcons’ other group stage matches include contests against Spain on July 28 and Japan on July 31, both taking place at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.