The Super Falcons are currently preparing for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – a tournament in which they will be big underdogs in their group matches, with an outside betting chance of making it into the knockout stages.
They sit in group B alongside co-hosts Australia, Olympic gold medalists Canada and the Republic of Ireland, with a tiny 401.00 chance of winning the tournament.
Despite winning their last three matches in preparation for the tournament, Nigeria are the lowest ranked side in their group and will look at their opening match against Canada as the perfect opportunity to shock the rest of the tournament from the get-go.
Matchup against Canada
Canada, Nigeria’s first opponents, enter the tournament with Bet9ja odds to win the trophy of 34.00, making them 10th favourites to become world champions. Their biggest goalscoring threat is goal machine Christine Sinclair, who has an incredible 190 goals in 323 international appearances – a world record in both male and female international football.
Nigeria’s captain and record cap holder Onome Ebi will be tasked with stopping Sinclair. Ebi has 107 caps herself and is extremely experienced, but will have to be on her game if Nigeria are to spring a surprise – they are 8.10 to win the match at Bet9ja, at time of writing.
Asisat Oshoala – Nigeria’s biggest threat
Asisat Oshoala is Nigeria’s star player going forward – the 28-year-old Barcelona forward has scored 30 goals for the national team and 83 goals in 89 appearances for her club, claiming an astonishing amount of trophies in the process.
Barcelona have been near-unbeatable in Europe, and Oshoala will be hoping that she can take that winning mentality to the World Cup and shock some of the more fancied sides in the tournament
What are Nigeria’s overall chances?
The reality of Nigeria’s “Group of Death” is that they will do very well to make it to the last 16, but that is not to say that they do not have the quality to do so.
Australia will have a home crowd behind them and Canada have an enormously experienced squad, but if the Super Falcons can avoid any heavy defeats and take any points from their opening two matches, they will like their chances of sneaking past the Republic of Ireland and making their way into the knockout stage.
As we saw in the Men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, surprises and shocks are a real possibility when sides who don’t often face each other come up against one another. Nigeria will be hoping that this will be the case.
How do you think Nigeria will do in the FIFA Women’s World Cup? Bet here at Bet9ja.
