IKENNE, OGUN STATE (Made In Africa Sport) – Super Falcons interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen believes Super Falcons have the quality to secure qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games after opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Comoros in the second round of the African qualifiers.

Second-half goals from Michelle Alozie and Uchenna Kanu gave Nigeria a comfortable advantage in Friday’s first leg at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, following a goalless opening 45 minutes.

Speaking at the post-match press conference alongside goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Eguavoen expressed confidence in the team’s potential and urged Nigerians to continue supporting the Super Falcons as they pursue an Olympic return.

Eguavoen also reflected on Nigeria’s recent disappointment in the race for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, insisting that the experience should serve as a lesson for the team going forward.

Eguavoen urges fans to back Falcons

Eguavoen acknowledged the disappointment surrounding Nigeria’s recent setbacks but maintained that the team could respond positively and compete for a place at the Olympics.

“It was not a disaster during WAFCON, for the fact that we dominated Africa for a very long time. It was expected,” Eguavoen said.

“The painful thing is the World Cup and that the country we played was drawn for the World Cup,” he added.

The coach noted that opponents often raise their performance when facing Nigeria, making it important for the Super Falcons to learn from their recent experiences.

“Bottom line is any team that plays against the Nigeria national team tends to raise their game, so it is a lesson we learned as a group. Going forward, we will not let such a mistake happen,” he said.

Eguavoen also called on supporters to stand behind the team, stressing that their progress would require collective effort.

“It is not so easy, but we know now, and all we beg from you is to support us in every way you can because best believe this team has potential,” he concluded.

Coach admits first-half concerns

Despite Nigeria’s dominance in the opening half against Comoros, the Super Falcons went into the break without a goal, raising questions about their finishing.

Eguavoen admitted he felt nervous as the team struggled to convert its chances but said he remained confident that the breakthrough would eventually come.

“I was nervous to start. It was an away game anyway, and a draw away from home would’ve been good, but not for our own pedigree and the quality we have,” he said.

“We played Comoros with utmost respect, but the first half was a bit worrisome, but I knew we were going to score because we were dominating from the beginning to the end of the first half,” he added.

The Super Falcons eventually found their rhythm after the interval, with Alozie breaking the deadlock before Kanu added a second goal to put Nigeria in control of the tie.

While acknowledging Comoros’ resistance, Eguavoen maintained that Nigeria had demonstrated their superiority over the course of the contest.

“Comoros team gave a good fight, but we still showed our superiority,” he said.

Oshoala unavailable for return leg

Eguavoen also confirmed that experienced forward Asisat Oshoala would miss both legs of the Olympic qualifying tie as she recovers from a hamstring injury.

Her absence leaves Nigeria without one of their most experienced attacking options, although the team managed to secure a two-goal advantage in the opening fixture.

The Super Falcons will face Comoros again on Tuesday, 13 October, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne for the return leg. Both matches are being staged in Nigeria because Comoros does not have a Confederation of African Football-approved venue for international fixtures.

Nigeria must protect their advantage to advance to the next stage of the qualifying series. The winner of the tie will progress to the third round, where Morocco await following the withdrawal of the Republic of the Congo.

With only two African places available for the LA 2028 Women’s Football Tournament, Eguavoen’s immediate task is to guide the Super Falcons through the Comoros challenge and keep their Olympic ambitions on course.

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IKENNE, NIGERIA (Made In Africa Sport) – The Super Falcons of Nigeria beat Comoros 2-0 in the first leg of their second-round qualifying tie for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on Friday, October 9, 2006.

The match was played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, as Comoros do not have a CAF-approved stadium.

Defender Michelle Alozie opened the scoring shortly after the restart before forward Uchenna Kanu doubled Nigeria’s lead to give the Super Falcons a two-goal advantage ahead of the return leg.

Super Falcons held goalless at half-time

Despite creating several chances in the first half, Nigeria could not find the breakthrough before the interval.

Uchenna Kanu had an attempt blocked by a Comoros defender in the 18th minute, while Alozie missed an opportunity moments later after beating a defender in a one-on-one situation.

Comoros goalkeeper Aicha Said also denied Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade in the 25th minute as the visitors held firm.

Both teams went into the break with the score at 0-0.

Alozie, Kanu seal Super Falcons victory

Nigeria broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart, with Alozie finding the net in the 47th minute.

Kanu extended the lead in the 59th minute, heading home Jennifer Echegini’s corner to put the Super Falcons in control of the tie.

Nigeria continued to push for more goals but could not add to their tally.

The victory gives the Super Falcons a two-goal advantage heading into the second leg, with a clean sheet further strengthening their position in the tie.

Super Falcons face Comoros in return leg

Nigeria will host Comoros again at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, for the return leg.

The Super Falcons will aim to protect their advantage and advance to the third round of the Olympic qualifiers.

The winner on aggregate will face Morocco in the next round after the North African side received a bye following the withdrawal of the Republic of the Congo.

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The Super Falcons begin their race for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on Friday when they face Comoros in the first leg of their second-round qualifying tie at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.

The encounter will also mark Augustine Eguavoen‘s first competitive assignment as interim head coach of the Super Falcons following his appointment to oversee the Olympic qualifiers.

Nigeria will host both legs of the tie, with the return fixture scheduled for Tuesday, 13 October, because Comoros do not have a CAF-approved venue for international matches.

Eguavoen’s preparations have, however, been affected by the withdrawal of several players, including six-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala and defender Ashleigh Plumptre.

Super Falcons build up in Ikenne

The Super Falcons began preparations in Ikenne earlier this week, with 14 players taking part in the first training session on Monday.

The early arrivals included goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, defenders Farida Abdulwahab, Tumininu Adeshina, Valentina Uroko and Glory Edet, midfielders Joy Igbokwe and Fatimoh Solaty, and forwards Blessing Nkor and Sandra John.

More players subsequently joined the camp as Eguavoen worked towards assembling the squad for Friday’s opening leg.

The interim coach had initially invited 28 players for the assignment, including captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Michelle Alozie, Christy Ucheibe, Jennifer Echegini, Toni Payne and Oshoala.

Key players unavailable

Oshoala has been excused from the assignment, although the Nigeria Football Federation has not disclosed a specific reason for her withdrawal.

Plumptre, meanwhile, asked to be excused because of a ligament injury after returning to the squad following her absence from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Benfica duo Oluwatosin Demehin and Flourish Sabastine are also unavailable because of residence-permit issues in Portugal.

Eguavoen has also released Flamingos forward Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Favour Nkwocha to join Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team ahead of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Adegbuyi was named the Most Valuable Player at the recently concluded WAFU-B U-17 Girls’ Cup, while Nkwocha was part of the Falconets squad at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Favour Omenazu and Blessing Nkor were brought in as replacements as the coaching crew adjusted the squad.

Eguavoen backs replacements

Despite the withdrawals, Eguavoen has dismissed concerns that the changes will weaken the Super Falcons ahead of the two-legged contest.

“It is true that we have a number of withdrawals, notably Asisat Oshoala, Ashley Plumptre and Oluwatosin Demehin. However, I have confidence in their replacements as these ones also have the quality and experience to contribute meaningfully to the team’s success against Comoros,” Eguavoen said.

“Everyone has settled in well in camp as we have a full house now, and our focus is to present a strong and competitive squad for the two matches,” he added.

The statement underlines Eguavoen’s belief in the depth available to Nigeria despite the absence of several established players.

Falcons begin Olympic chase

Super falcons received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the African qualifying competition.

Comoros, meanwhile, reached this stage after an extraordinary 30-0 aggregate victory over Sudan in the opening round.

Captain Ajibade will lead the Super Falcons as they target a second consecutive Olympic appearance after returning to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament at Paris 2024 following a 16-year absence.

The qualification campaign consists of five rounds, with two African teams ultimately securing places at Los Angeles 2028.

Should Nigeria eliminate Comoros over the two legs, the Super Falcons will advance to the third round, where they will face either the Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco. That stage is scheduled to be decided in February and March 2027.

With the first leg now only days away, Eguavoen’s immediate task is to translate his confidence in the available players into a strong result and put the Super Falcons in control of the tie before the return fixture.

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