Both Japan and Nigeria have their sights set on securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Olympics, and the two teams will go head-to-head at Stade de La Beaujoire – Louis Fonteneau on Wednesday.
So far, Japan has earned three points and is currently in second place in Group C after two matches. Meanwhile, Nigeria has yet to secure any points and is at the bottom of the standings after suffering two consecutive losses
Japan began their bid to win their first Olympic medal since London 2012 with a narrow 2-1 defeat to world champions Spain, leaving them on the back-foot ahead of their second group match against Brazil.
Futoshi Ikeda’s side looked to be heading towards another defeat when Mina Tanaka’s penalty miss in first-half stoppage time was followed by a Brazilian opener in the 56th minute.
However, Japan showed great character to pull off a dramatic turnaround, with Saki Kumagai netting a 92nd-minute penalty before substitute Momoko Tanikawa scored a sublime long-range winner.
As a result of that victory, they moved into second place and above Brazil on goals scored, leaving them three points adrift of Spain and three points ahead of Nigeria.
Having featured in the knockout rounds in their last four Olympic appearances, Japan are hoping they can produce a strong performance against Nigeria to avoid their first group-stage exit since 1996.
Nigeria have experienced a disappointing start to their first Olympic campaign since 2008, having fallen just short in both of their first two matches in France.
After losing 1-0 to Brazil in their opener, the Super Falcons looked set to pick up a hard-earned point in Sunday’s clash with Spain, only for Alexia Putellas to score an 85th-minute free-kick to snatch all three points.
Nigeria will be concerned with the fact they have now failed to score in three consecutive internationals, which is something they will need to change if they are to have any hope of progressing to the knockout rounds for the first time since the 2004 Olympics.
Although they are three points adrift of Brazil and Japan, Nigeria know that a win will give them a chance of securing second position or one of the best third-placed spots.
The Super Falcons may be able to draw inspiration from the fact they claimed a narrow 1-0 win in their only previous meeting with Japan at the 2004 Olympics in Greece.
Japan vs. Nigeria odds
If Japan win the last round of group stages, it is highly likely that they will advance to the next stage. With a win probability of 67.70%, they are expected to come out victorious in this game. On the other hand, Nigerian Women only have a 12.50% chance of winning.
Team News
Unfortunately, Japan’s Risa Shimizu will not be able to compete in the Olympics due to a knee injury sustained during their first match against Spain.
As a result, Tanikawa could potentially replace her in the starting lineup after impressing as a substitute and helping secure a victory over Brazil.
Another strong contender for a starting spot is West Ham United’s Riko Ueki, who played for over 30 minutes after coming off the bench on Sunday.
On the other side of the field, Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum may choose to stick with the same lineup that put up a strong performance in their narrow loss to Spain. This includes having Michelle Alozie, Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin, and Chidinma Okeke as defenders protecting goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Up front, Esther Okoronkwo is likely to lead the attack for her team.
Possible starting XIs
Japan: Yamashita; Moriya, Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami, Koga; Hasegawa, Nagano, Tanikawa; Ueki, Tanaka
Nigeria: Nnadozie; Alozie, Ohale, Demehin, Okeke; Ucheibe, Abiodun; T Payne, Oshoala, Ajibade; Okoronkwo
Match Prediction: Japan 2-0 Nigeria
Having made an impressive comeback against Brazil, Japan will enter Wednesday’s match with a strong sense of determination. We predict they will continue to thrive as they face Nigeria, who have been struggling to find their rhythm in the attacking zone.
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