Putella Late Strikes Tighten Super Falcons Olympics Hope

Spain defeated Team Nigeria’s Super Falcons Sunday night at the Paris 2024 Olympics women’s event following a 1-0 win in their second group C match at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France.

Coach Randy Waldrum made two changes to the side that lost the opening match to Brazil on Thursday with Jennifer Echegini and Chinwendu Ihezuo dropped to the bench for Esther Okoronkwo and Asisat Oshoala respectively.

The defeat to Spain leaves Nigeria in a precarious situation heading into the final group game against the Japan side that defeated Brazil earlier on Sunday to get their campaign back on track.

Alexia Putellas sent Spain into the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after her remarkable late free kick sailed into the far corner of the Nigeria net to secure a narrow 1-0 win.

The two sides had fought hard for supremacy during the encounter, before the moment of quality from the Barcelona star.

Spain take on Brazil in their final group game of the first stage.

Spain had struggled to find a way past their Group C opponents with striker Salma Paralluelo having a second half goal disallowed.

Paralluelo went close on several other occasions and Putellas had an effort cleared off the line as the game looked destined to end goalless.

However, Nigeria conceded a needless free kick which Putellas looped over stranded goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to seal the win.

Spain top Group C with six points from two games and have qualified for the knockout round before facing Brazil in their final group game.

Meanwhile, Nigeria are pointless and will need to beat Japan in their final match to have any chance of qualifying.

With Japan recording an unlikely victory against Brazil in the other Group C match, Nigeria knew that gaining a point from Spain would increase their chances of qualifying from the group stages.

Despite being put on the back foot by the World Cup winners, Nigeria were quick on the break and Esther Okoronkwo forced goalkeeper Cata Coll to tip her effort away.

Spain are bidding to win the Olympic Games title for the first time and went closer to opening the scoring, but Aitana Bonmati saw her shot blocked by a covering defender.