Nigeria undaunted against Australia after its opening draw against Canada

By BROOKE EVANS Associated Press

BRISBANE, Australia

(AP) — The Super Falcons looked at the draw and saw back-to-back games against Olympic champion Canada and co-host Australia to open their run at the Women’s World Cup. Onome Ebi and her Nigeria team didn’t flinch, despite the brutal twomatch opener.

After holding Canada to a 0-0 draw, Nigeria is determined to continue its unbeaten start to the tournament today against the home team.

Four years after advancing to the round of 16, No. 40-ranked Nigeria wasn’t given much chance by pundits of making it out of the group. That’s a scenario Ebi revels in.

“We like it when people don’t believe in us, so they will think we are just pushovers,” the Nigeria captain said. “That motivates the team so we’ll go out there and prove everybody wrong and make ourselves proud.”

Coach Randy Waldrum recognises that facing the Matildas will present a different set of challenges than what they faced against Canada. The Australians “are extremely dangerous in their transition moments,” Waldrum said.

“Canada is more possession-based, but Australia has the ability to attack quickly on the counter.”

Nigeria will welcome back Rasheedat Ajibade and Halimatu Ayinde who are returning from suspension.

Australia, on the other hand, will be without injured superstar striker Sam Kerr and her understudy, Mary Fowler, who played in the 1-0 opening win over Ireland. Nigeria is no stranger to the Women’s World Cup, having qualified for all nine tournaments. Advancing beyond the group stage has been a challenge, however, with the team only doing so twice. One explanation for the team’s struggles at the World Cup has been its vulnerability on defence, having conceded more goals at the World Cup than any other team.

The shutout of Canada was a first for Nigeria in a World Cup opener, giving the team confidence that its defence could hold up against Australia.

“Everyone is throwing their bodies on the line, defenders, forwards and midfielders,” Nigeria’s

Houston Dash defender

Michelle Alozie said. “We are defensively sound and we can do that with a really big team.”

The 23-player roster Waldrum selected contains 12 players who are making a Women’s World Cup debut.

Seven of those players were in Nigeria’s starting lineup against Canada with three in the defence and four in midfield.

Ebi, who made her World Cup debut in 2003 and has been with the team longer than any other staff member or player, is impressed with how her younger teammates have handled their first World Cup.

After entering the tournament coming off a disappointing fourthplace finish at the Women’s African Cup of Nations, Nigeria was the only African team to avoid defeat in its opening game.

NEXT

Spain takes on Japan on Monday in Wellington to decide Group C’s seeding in the knockout stage. Also Monday, Zambia meets Costa Rica in Hamilton. Both Zambia and Costa Rica are eliminated from advancing out of Group C.

World Cup

FROM PAGE 19

Cup final, which the United States won 2-0 for the team’s second straight title and fourth overall. The United States is undefeated in all but one of its meetings with the Dutch — the first game in 1991.

“America has been one of the best teams in world for a long time. I think they still have so much quality on the pitch,” Netherlands midfielder Jackie Groenen said. “But I think we’re growing, too. And that makes the distance maybe different now than it was before.”

The United States, a 3-0 winner over Vietnam in the opener, and the Netherlands are even on points atop Group E. But the Americans hold the edge with more overall goals. The results of today’s match will be crucial to determine placement in the round of 16.

The top finisher in the group opens the knockout round in Sydney against the second-place finisher in Group G, which includes Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina.

The second-place finisher heads to Melbourne against the top Group G team.

AUSTRALIA vs NIGERIA

Australia opened the tournament with star player Sam Kerr out injured for at least two matches, and now Kerr’s replacement is hurt, too, heading into a Group B match against Nigeria.

Mary Fowler joined Kerr on the injury list one day before today’s match in Brisbane. Fowler, a striker who also plays for Manchester City, suffered a concussion in a recent practice.

PORTUGAL vs VIETNAM

One team could earn its first ever victory in the Women’s World Cup when Portugal and Vietnam meet in Group E.

Odds were stacked against both teams when they landed in the same group as the United States and 2019 runner-up the Netherlands. It’s the first appearance at World Cup for both Portugal and Vietnam, and both were losers in opening matches against the two powerhouses.

Portugal’s tournament started with a 1-0 loss to the Dutch and Vietnam dropped a 3-0 match to the Americans.