Nigeria’s Super Falcons face a must-win clash against South Korea on Wednesday, June 12, as they fight to keep their 2019 Women’s World Cup hopes alive. After a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Norway in their opening group match, the African champions are under pressure to turn things around and avoid an early exit from the tournament in France.
Against Norway, Nigeria struggled to create chances, managing only one shot on target from nine attempts. Striker Desire Oparanozie and her teammates will need to improve their finishing and be more clinical in front of goal if they are to secure their first victory in the competition. Coach Thomas Dennerby acknowledged the team’s slow start but remains confident. “Even though we lost the first match, we are still very confident because we had a very good start to the game in the first 20 to 25 minutes. The ball movement and the pace were good. So if we can do the same thing in the second match, we will have a chance to win. Of course we have to win, we have to win,” he said.
The Super Falcons are no strangers to the Women’s World Cup, having competed in all eight editions to date. However, they have only progressed beyond the first round once, reaching the quarterfinals in 1999 in the United States. As nine-time Africa Cup of Nations champions, Nigeria remains the continent’s dominant force in women’s football, but the 2019 tournament presents a stern challenge if they are to replicate past successes. A strong performance against South Korea is now crucial for their campaign and African football pride.
