It’s been 16 years since Nigeria's Super Falcons last made an appearance at the women’s football event of the Olympic Games.
The West Africans are, however, primed to make a return in Paris later this month after getting the better of rivals South Africa in a qualifying playoff in April. Standing in their way will be Spain, Japan and Brazil in Group C, as they aim to reach the knockout stage of the tournament for only the second time in their history.
Randy Waldrum, though, has at his disposal a very talented squad, led by the reigning African Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala and one of the best goalkeepers in the world Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Iconic Olympics moments of the Super Falcons
While the current generation of players has yet to have a taste of the Olympics, names such as Perpetua Nkwocha and Mercy Akide will always be synonymous with Nigeria’s most memorable moments in the tournament.
Although the Super Falcons do not have a particularly great record at the Olympics, they remain Africa’s most successful side in the competition, having qualified for the 2000, 2004 and 2008 editions, and reached the quarter-finals once.
As we build up to the 2024 Olympics, Afrik-Foot has chronicled the Super Falcons’ five most iconic Olympics moments.
Super Falcons make historic Olympics debut in 2000
Africa was not represented in 1996, when the women’s football tournament was first introduced at the Olympics, with qualification based on results of the year before’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
However, in 2000, in Australia, the Super Falcons historically booked their place at the Olympics after finishing as one of the top seven teams at the 1999 World Cup, therefore, becoming the first women’s team from Africa to qualify for the Olympics.
Nigeria went on to debut at the tournament in a group that contained the United States (US), Norway and China. It was a proud moment for the entire team but ended up being a debut to forget for Ismaila Mabo’s side, who lost all three matches and finished at the bottom of their group.
Perpetua Nkwocha scores Super Falcons’ first-ever Olympics goal
While Nigeria’s debut campaign at the women’s football tournament of the Olympics didn’t go according to plan, there was a wee bit to cheer about when Perpetua Nkwocha scored the Super Falcon’s first-ever goal at the Olympics.
The former midfielder successfully converted a penalty in the 85th minute of Nigeria’s opening group game against China.
Although her effort was only good enough for a consolation, as the Falcons eventually lost the game 3-1, it was a historic moment for Nigeria and the entire Africa, marking the country’s and the continent’s first-ever goal at the Olympics.
Super Falcons record first-ever Olympics victory against Japan
Another memorable moment of the Super Falcons at the Olympics came in the 2004 edition when they made their second appearance at the tournament in Athens, Greece.
Paired in the same group with Japan and Sweden, the West Africans made their mark this time by upsetting heavyweights Japan in their opening game. Despite going into the match against the Asians as underdogs, Vera Okolo’s 55th-minute strike was enough to earn Nigeria a famous 1-0 victory.
It also marked the Falcons’ first-ever win at the Olympics and, by extension, the first victory for an African team in the women’s football tournament.
Super Falcons become first African team to reach Olympics quarterfinals
Perhaps the most iconic moment for the Super Falcons at the Olympics, Ismaila Mabo’s side reached the quarter-finals of the tournament in 2004, becoming the first African side to achieve such a feat.
Nigeria’s quest to reach the knockout stage received a huge boost following their impressive 1-0 win against Japan. This meant that despite suffering a 2-1 loss at the hands of Sweden in their next match, the Falcons still managed to book their place in the quarterfinals.
In what was a rather even finish in the group, all three teams garnered three points, had the same goal difference and had to be separated by goals scored. Sweden, therefore, picked the top spot, Nigeria finished as runners-up, while Japan also qualified as one of the best third-placed teams.
Nigeria’s fairytale journey would, however, come to an end in the quarterfinals when they lost to Germany but they remain the first, and so far only, African team to reach the knockout stage of the Olympics, with Cameroon, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe all exiting at the group stages in their respective campaigns.
Super Falcons make three consecutive appearances at the Olympics
Nigeria’s long absence from the Olympic Games has been nothing short of disappointing but things used to be different when the Super Falcons first burst onto the international scene.
After qualifying for the Olympics for the first time in 2000, Nigeria were present at the next edition in 2004 before making it three successive appearances in 2008 in Beijing, China.
Although the Falcons failed to build on their gains from four years prior, where they reached the quarterfinals, qualifying for the Olympics three times in a row remains an unprecedented feat for an African team.
