Nigeria and Cameroon share spoils in Olympic qualifier

It was a tough and tense encounter between the two rivals, who have met several times in the past for major titles and qualifications

The Super Falcons of Nigeria and the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon settled for a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their 2024 Olympic qualifier on Friday. The match was played at the Stade de la Réunification in Douala, Cameroon.

It was a tough and tense encounter between the two rivals, who have met several times in the past for major titles and qualifications. Both teams were determined to secure a good result ahead of the second leg in Nigeria.

The Super Falcons, who are the reigning African champions, had Randy Waldrum back on the bench as their head coach. Waldrum had missed the previous round of qualifiers due to contractual issues, but he was able to resume his duties after reaching an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation. He also had Ashleigh Plumptre, the England-born defender, back in the squad. Plumptre had impressed in her debut for Nigeria at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

However, the return of Waldrum and Plumptre did not seem to boost the performance of the Super Falcons, who were outplayed by the hosts in the first half. The Indomitable Lionesses, who are the runners-up of the last two African Women’s Cup of Nations, were aggressive and creative in their attacks, while Nigeria lacked cohesion and penetration.

The Super Falcons improved in the second half, thanks to the introduction of Toni Payne for Jennifer Echegini. Payne, who plays for Sevilla in Spain, added some spark and speed to the Nigerian attack. She also set up Echegini for two goals, but both were disallowed for offside by the referee.

The match ended in a stalemate, leaving the tie open for the second leg. Nigeria will host Cameroon at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Monday. The winner of the tie will advance to the final round of qualifiers, where they will face either Tanzania or South Africa.

Only two African teams will qualify for the 2024 Olympics, which will be held in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11. Nigeria have qualified for the Olympics three times before, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Cameroon have qualified once, in 2012.

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