Super Falcons break Olympic jinx, qualify for Paris 2024

A first half penalty by Rasheedat Ajibade was enough to
place the Falcons on the right pedestal on Friday as Coach Randy Waldrum’s
girls secured an important advantage that sealed their qualification.

Uchenna Kanu came close to breaking the deadlock in Pretoria
but her effort from the right was deflected for a corner by a South African
defender while Chiamaka Nnadozie was confident in goal for the Falcons.

The Falcons, who reached the quarter-final at last year’s
FIFA Women’s World Cup, have now qualified for the women’s football event for
the first time since 2008.

They lost in the third round of qualifiers in 2016 (Rio,
Brazil) and 2020(Tokyo, Japan) to Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast
respectively.

The Falcons have only previously played at the Olympics in
2000, 2004 and 2008.

The 2024 Olympics is slated to take place in Paris, France,
from July 26 to August 11, 2024.