Super Falcons of Nigeria could face world champions Spain, Brazil, and Japan in the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The team last qualified for the Olympic Games 16 years ago at the 2008 tournament in Beijing.
Nigeria has one last hurdle and would have to beat South Africa in the final round of the African qualifiers. The games will be played over two legs between April 1 and 9.
In the other African qualifying game, Morrocco will face Zambia for a place in the tournament.
In Group A, host France will seek to become just the second host country to win gold after the US in 1996. Les Blues will face holders Canada, Colombia, and joint host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, New Zealand.
Groups B and C appear particularly challenging, with the USA and Germany drawn in the former, while Brazil will face Spain in the latter.
The women’s tournament will begin on July 25, one day before the Olympic Games opening ceremony, and conclude with the final in Paris on August 10.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the last quarterfinals, along with the two best third-placed sides.
Full draw for the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games:
Group A: France, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand
Group B: USA, Germany, Australia, (Morocco or Zambia)
Group C: Spain, Japan, Brazil, (Nigeria or South Africa)
Men’s team misses out on Olympic Games
For the second time in a row, the men’s team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games. Nigeria’s last outing was at the Rio 2016 Games, where the team clinched a bronze medal.
Nigeria has finished on the podium on three occasions: Atlanta 1996 (gold), Beijing 2008 (silver), and Rio 2016 (bronze).