Nigerian Women's National Football Team / Olympic Games

Nigeria
Federal Republic of Nigeria

OS record goal scorer :	Mercy Akide (4)
OS record player:	Stella Mbachu and Perpetua Nkwocha (9 games each)
Rank :	14th
Balance sheet
9 OS games 1 win 0 draw 8 defeats 7:18 goals
statistics
First OS game Nigeria 1: 3 PR China Canberra ( AUS ); September 14, 2000
Biggest OS win Nigeria 1-0 Japan Piraeus ( GRC ); August 14, 2004
Biggest OS defeats Nigeria 1: 3 PR China Canberra ( AUS ); September 14, 2000 Nigeria 1: 3 Norway Canberra ( AUS ); September 17, 2000 Nigeria 1: 3 USA Melbourne ( AUS ); September 20, 2000 Nigeria 1: 3 Brazil Beijing ( CHN ); August 12, 2008
successes
Olympic games:
Participation in the finals	3 ( first : 2000 )
Best results	Quarterfinals ( 2004 )
(As of October 7, 2019 )

The article provides a detailed account of the Nigerian national soccer team for women at the Summer Olympics . Nigeria has been able to take part in three of the five women's tournaments at the Olympic Games to date and have reached the quarter-finals once. Recently, however, Nigeria could not qualify three times, although the team had always won the African Championships before.

The national team at the Olympic Games

Overview

Olympic Games in	Participation until ...	opponent	Result	Trainer	Comments and special features
Atlanta 1996	not qualified		-		Not qualified by the preliminary round at the 1995 World Cup
Sydney 2000	Preliminary round	PR China , Norway , USA	-	Mabo Ismaila	Eliminated as last group
Athens 2004	Quarter finals	Germany	-	Mabo Ismaila
Beijing 2008	Preliminary round	Brazil , Germany . North Korea	-	Joseph Ladipo	Eliminated as last group
London 2012	not qualified				Failed in qualification against Cameroon
Rio de Janeiro 2016	not qualified				Failed in qualifying at Equatorial Guinea, which could not qualify either.
Tokyo 2020	not qualified				Failed in the qualification in Ivory Coast due to the away goals rule .

The tournaments

Olympia 1996 in Atlanta

For the first women's Olympic soccer tournament, in addition to hosts USA, only the other seven best teams from the 1995 World Cup and Brazil qualified for the English women who were not eligible to start. Since Nigeria were eliminated in the preliminary round and also suffered the highest international defeat against eventual world champions Norway with 8-0, the team was not qualified for the Olympic Games.

Olympia 2000 in Sydney

The Nigerians qualified for the second Olympic tournament by reaching the quarter-finals at the 1999 World Cup. They even failed on penalties against Brazil. In their first Olympic game they lost 3-1 to the People's Republic of China . Another 1: 3 followed against the eventual Olympic champion Norway . They were eliminated before the last game, which they then lost 3-1 to world champions and defending champions USA . After all, the defeat was not as high as before, because at the World Cup they lost 7-1 to the USA.

Olympia 2004 in Athens

For the third Olympic women's football tournament, the continental associations were allocated starting places, which they distributed in special qualifications. Nigeria qualified in a four-round qualification, which was played in cup mode with home and away legs. They had a bye in the first round and benefited from Kenya's withdrawal in the second round. In the third round they played 1-1 against Ghana twice , so there was a penalty shoot-out after the second game. They won this 3-2. In the final, they first played in South Africa and achieved a 2-2. With a 1-0 win in the second leg, they qualified for the Olympic Games.

In one of two groups of three they won their opening game against Nigeria 1-0 and thus for the first time a game at the Olympic Games. In the second game, however, they lost against vice world champions Sweden 2-1, which in turn then lost 1-0 to Japan. The three teams had three points each, Sweden and Nigeria but 2-2 goals and Japan 1-1 goals. Since Nigeria had lost to Sweden, they were second in the group. But all three reached the quarter-finals, which were held for the first time. Here Nigeria met world champions Germany and lost 2-1 - this defeat was also less than in previous games and Germany was only able to equalize the Nigerian lead from the 49th minute through Steffi Jones in the 76th minute . Five minutes later, Conny Pohlers, who was substituted on at half time, scored the winning goal.

2008 Olympics in Beijing

For the tournament in Beijing , the Nigerians had to qualify this time in a three-round qualification. They benefited in the first round from the fact that Senegal withdrew their team. In the second round they lost 1-0 in Algeria , but were able to win the second leg 6-0. The third round should be played between four teams in any-against-all mode with home and return legs. But since Ethiopia withdrew after the first game against Ghana, only South Africa remained as opponents besides Ghana. Nigeria won against South Africa 5-0 at the start, then lost 1-0 in Ghana, won 1-0 in South Africa and ultimately 2-0 at home against Ghana. Both had 9 points, but Nigeria won both the better goal difference and the direct comparison and were qualified for the Olympics. Ghana still had the chance to qualify in an intercontinental match against Brazil, but could not use this chance.

At the start of the tournament in the People's Republic of China , they lost against North Korea 0-1. Then they lost 1-0 to world champions Germany - defender Kerstin Stegemann scored the goal in the 64th minute. With 1: 3 they then lost against vice world champions Brazil. Here was Perpetua Nkwocha put the Africans in the 19th minute through a penalty in the lead. Thanks to a "flawless hat trick ", Cristiane was able to turn the game around before the break - for which she needed stoppage time. Nigeria was eliminated as the bottom of the group.

Olympia 2012 in London

The Nigerians missed participation in the tournament in London in a qualifying tournament that again ran over four rounds. They had a bye in the first round and benefited from the withdrawal of the Congo in the second round. In the third round, they beat Namibia 7-0 and 2-0 . In the final round they met Cameroon and after they both won their home games 2-1, there was a penalty shoot-out , which Nigeria lost 3-4. The women from Cameroon had thus qualified for an intercontinental tournament for the first time.

Olympia 2016 in Rio de Janeiro

Nigeria could not qualify for the tournament in Rio de Janeiro either. In another four-round tournament , they again had a bye in the first round and benefited from Mali's withdrawal in the second round. In the third round they only achieved a 1-1 draw in their home game against Equatorial Guinea . In the second leg it was also 1-1 after 90 minutes, but Equatorial Guinea scored the decisive goal in extra time. Equatorial Guinea then failed in the final round to South Africa.

Olympia 2020 in Tokyo

Nigeria could not qualify for the tournament in Tokyo either. In a five-round tournament , they had a bye in the first round. In the second round they met Algeria . After a 2-0 away win, the second leg was won 1-0. In the third round they achieved a goalless draw in the away game against Ivory Coast and only came to a 1-1 draw at home, so that Nigeria were eliminated due to the away goals rule .

statistics

Record against the Olympic champions at the Olympic Games

• Germany : 2 games - 2 defeats, 1: 3 goals
• USA : 1 game - 1 loss - 1: 3 goals
• Norway : 1 game - 1 loss - 1: 3 goals

Games

Nigeria have played nine games at the Olympics so far. Of these, one was won and eight lost. No game went into overtime. The Nigerians never played against the hosts, once against the eventual Olympic champion (2000 in the preliminary round) and once against the defending champion. The Nigerians played most often against Germany (twice). A game was the first against the opponent.

Nigeria played against teams from all other confederations except Oceania and also against their champions (5 times), most often against the Asian and European champions (2 times each). Nigeria met the reigning world champion every time.

Most of the games played Stella Mbachu and Perpetua Nkwocha , which have been used in nine previous games. The most goals scored Mercy Akide , who scored four goals in two appearances.

No.	date	Result	opponent	AH/*	venue	occasion	comment
1	09/14/2000	1: 3	People's Republic of China	*	Canberra ( AUS )	Preliminary round
2	09/17/2000	1: 3	Norway	*	Canberra ( AUS )	Preliminary round
3	09/20/2000	1: 3	United States * (TV)	*	Melbourne ( AUS )	Preliminary round
4th	08/14/2004	1-0	Japan	*	Piraeus ( GRC )	Preliminary round	First game against Japan
5	08/17/2004	1: 2	Sweden	*	Volos ( GRC )	Preliminary round
6th	08/20/2004	1: 2	Germany *	*	Patras ( GRC )	Quarter finals
7th	08/06/2008	0: 1	North Korea	*	Shenyang ( CHN )	Preliminary round
8th	08/09/2008	0: 1	Germany *	*	Qinhuangdao ( CHN )	Preliminary round
9	08/12/2008	1: 3	Brazil	*	Beijing ( CHN )	Preliminary round

Note: Teams marked in bold were continental champions at the time of the game, teams marked with "*" were world champions.

Records

• Eldest coach: Joseph Ladipo, aged 67 and one month, on August 12, 2008 in the game against Brazil
• Most converted penalties: Perpetua Nkwocha (2)

The only victory of the Nigerian team at the Olympics is also their highest win against this team:

•  Japan 1-0 preliminary round 2004

Her biggest defeat against this team was at the Olympic Games:

•  Brazil 1: 3 preliminary round 2008

Negative record

• Worst goal difference up to 2016: −11 (also Greece), now Zimbabwe with −12

Web links

• Women's Olympic Football Tournament - Statistical Kit - Statistics, Facts & Figures 1996 - 2012

Individual evidence

1. ^ Games of the XXVIII. Olympiad Football Qualifying Tournament
2. ↑ Germany - Nigeria 2: 1 (0: 0)
3. ^ Games of the XXIX. Olympiad Football Qualifying Tournament
4. ↑ fifa.com: "Stegemann redeems Germany"
5. ↑ fifa.com: "Cristiane's hat trick secures Brazil's group victory"
6. ^ Games of the XXX. Olympiad Football Qualifying Tournament