Nigeria’s Super Falcons’ hope of advancing to the next round of the games at the ongoing Olympics in Paris now hangs in the balance as they suffered another loss to Spain at the La Beaujoire Stadium in Nantes on Sunday. The had suffered a 1-2 loss to Brazil in their opening game in the group and now need to beat Japan in their final group game and expect a favourable result in other games to stand a chance of qualifying to the next stage as one of best losers in the football event of the ongoing Olympics in Paris.
The Randy Waldrum coached side appeared to lack a finisher to convert the few chances they created and paid for it when Spain’s Alexia Putellas scored directly from a free kick in the last minutes of the game.
In the other group game between Brazil and Japan, Momoko Tanikawa scored a stunning 96th-minute winner as Japan netted twice in injury time to come from behind and beat Brazil 2-1 in the Olympic women’s football tournament on Sunday.
Japan, the 2012 silver medalists, were staring at a second straight defeat in Group C that would have left them in serious danger of a first-round exit after Jhennifer put Brazil ahead early in the second half.
But captain Saki Kumagai rolled in a 92nd-minute penalty to equalize at the Parc des Princes in Paris before 19-year-old substitute Tanikawa’s incredible first-time shot from 30 metres sailed over the goalkeeper and in for the winner.
The result means Japan and Brazil — silver medalists in 2004 and 2008 — are now level on three points after two matches.
