Olympic Qualifiers: Alozie, Kanu fire Super Falcons to victory over Comoros

Nigeria’s Super Falcons began their qualification quest for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with a 2-0 victory over Comoros in the first leg of their second-round qualifier on Friday.

After a barren first half dominated by the Falcons, Michelle Alozie opened the scoring in the 48th minute before Uchenna Kanu doubled Nigeria’s lead in the 60th minute, giving the Super Falcons a two-goal advantage ahead of the return leg.

The result gives Nigeria a strong position in the two-legged tie as they seek to secure one of Africa’s two places in the women’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Friday’s match at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne was the first competitive assignment for the team under Augustine Eguavoen, who was appointed interim coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ahead of the qualifiers while the search for a permanent coach continues.

Eguavoen is supported by Christopher Danjuma, coach of Nasarawa Amazons, former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf and goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa.

Danjuma previously led Nigeria’s Falconets at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. Yusuf, meanwhile, earned 68 caps for the Super Falcons and represented Nigeria at four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, three FIFA Women’s World Cups and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Nigeria received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the African qualifying series. Comoros reached this stage after defeating Sudan 30-0 on aggregate.

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The return leg is scheduled for Tuesday, 13 October also at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.

Victory over Comoros on aggregate would take Nigeria into the third round, scheduled for 23 February to 6 March 2027, where they would face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco.

The African qualifying series consists of five two-legged rounds, with only two teams earning places at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

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Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini