At 1 a.m. on July 26, the women’s football group C of the Olympics kicks off with a match between Nigeria and Brazil.
Nigeria is currently ranked 36th in the world and has not traditionally been considered a strong team globally. However, their performance in recent years has been quite impressive. In last year’s World Cup, they won all three group matches to advance, then faced England in the round of 16. Despite losing in a penalty shootout, the team showed remarkable resilience by holding England to a draw and forcing them to play with one player less. It is worth noting that England eventually finished as the World Cup runners-up, making Nigeria’s performance in the first knockout round particularly commendable.
In this year’s African Women’s Cup of Nations, Nigeria continued their strong form, winning all four matches, scoring 15 goals while conceding only one. They kept three clean sheets, demonstrating their solid defensive capabilities. In a subsequent friendly against Canada, then ranked ninth in the world, Nigeria lost by a single goal. This team is certainly one to watch in the Olympic tournament.
Brazil, currently ranked ninth in the world, is a traditional powerhouse in women’s football. However, their recent performances have disappointed fans. Last year, they were held to a draw by Jamaica in the final group match of the World Cup and then suffered an upset loss to France in the second round, which severely dented their confidence. Subsequent friendlies also saw losses to Canada and Japan.
This year, however, they have regained their form. In the Gold Cup, Brazil reached the final after a series of victories but ultimately lost to the formidable United States, finishing as runners-up. Their performance throughout the tournament indicated a return of confidence. Across six matches, they scored 20 goals and conceded just two, showcasing dominance in both attack and defense. They are eager to make a deep run in the Olympics.
Group C of the Olympics can be described as the “group of death,” featuring Japan and the reigning World Cup champions Spain, who are ranked first and seventh in the world respectively. For Nigeria, advancing from this group will be extremely challenging, and Brazil must perform at their best to have any hope of progressing.
Nigeria and Brazil previously met during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Brazil winning 3-1. However, the teams today are completely different, and the disparity in strength is clear. It will be intriguing to see if Nigeria can continue to defy expectations and pull off another upset against a top team.
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