Julius OkorieAhead of this evening’s Olympic Games opener between Brazil and Nigeria, Coach of the Brazilian team, Arthur Elias, is dreaming of knockout stage even as he has expressed optimism that his team will go far in the competition.
He stopped short of underrating the Super Falcons, citing his optimism on determination and commitment of his girls as the propeller that will help them disarm opponents in their quest for medals in Paris.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“The commitment of the team is great. We have got an increasingly strong group of players, and we have a unity of thought. This is an important factor for the team to advance in such a difficult competition and also to win in the knockout phase.” he enthused.
The Nigeria Brazil match billed for 6pm Nigerian time is the clash of two football power houses. The Super Falcons whose dominance in African women football is legendary with 11 AFCON titles face Brazil who dominates the South American women’s football with eight Copa América titles in the kitty.
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The encounter at the Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, marks the third meeting between these formidable teams.
In their previous encounters, Brazil emerged victorious in both instances. The first clash took place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999, where Brazil secured a 4-3 victory after extra time. The second meeting occurred at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, resulting in a 3-1 win for Samba Girls.
Despite their underdog status in Group C where they have been pitched against Brazil,Spain and Japan, the Randy Waldrum tutored side Falcons are determined to secure their first victory against Brazil. On the other hand, the Brazilian side, under the leadership of coach Arthur Elias, entered the tournament with high spirits after winning 10 of their last 15 games.
Falcons are carrying the weight of the nation in Olympics Games football event as their male counterparts failed to qualify for the Games. After today’s opener, the girls will face World Cup Champions Spain on July 28 and concluded the group stage with clash against Japan on July 31 at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
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