NIGERIA’S Super Falcons on Monday, July 31, qualified for the Round of 16 in the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after a goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland at Brisbane Stadium.
It is the third time the Super Falcons will qualify for the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their first was in the USA in 1999 where they ended their campaign at the quarterfinals, losing to Brazil 4-3.
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Twenty years later, the Super Falcons reached the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted by France. They ended the campaign in the Round of 16 after losing to Germany 3-0.
Super Falcons road to the Round of 16
Super Falcons began their campaign in the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup with a goalless draw against Canada in a Group B match, salvaging a point.
In their next match, they pulled a surprise, defeating the co-hosts Australia 3-2.
Their third group stage match against the Republic of Ireland ended in a goalless draw.
The Super Falcons qualified for the next round with 5 points and 1 goal difference.
The Nigerian side is the only African team to have appeared at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since 1991. In that period, the team has recorded five wins from 29 matches.
Having won a record eleven Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles with a total of 223 goals, the Super Falcons have not been able to replicate their goal scoring prowess on the global stage, scoring only 23 times at the FIFA World Cup.
The ICIR’s analysis shows that the team has failed to score in 18 of their previous 29 games at the FIFA Women’s Cup.