Oshoala and Brazil coach trade words ahead of Nigeria Super Falcons’ Paris Olympics opener

Nigeria's star forward Asisat Oshoala and Brazil's head coach Arthur Elias have shared their teams' goals ahead of their opening match at the Paris 2024 Olympics Women's Football Tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Group C opener between Nigeria and Brazil is set to kick off later today (Thursday) at 19:00 at Stade de Bordeaux, France.

Arthur Elias is confident as he leads Brazil into the crucial meeting with Nigeria. He believes the South American giants have the potential to go far in the tournament, citing the players' commitment and shared focus as key strengths.

“The commitment of the team is great. We have got an increasingly strong group of players, and we have a unity of thought. This is an important factor for the team to advance in such a difficult competition and also to win in the knockout phase,” Elias told fifa.com on Wednesday.

Nigeria return to the Women's Olympic Football Tournament for the first time since 2008, making them the most experienced African nation in the competition, with three previous appearances.

Historically, Brazil have had the upper hand in past encounters with the Super Falcons, winning 4-3 after extra time in the 1999 Women's World Cup quarterfinal and 3-1 in the group stage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Despite this, the Super Falcons are determined to secure a victory and advance from a tough group that also includes world champions Spain and Japan.

Bay FC striker and six-time African Women's Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, is optimistic about Nigeria's chances, aiming not just to progress from the group but also to win a medal.

“I have a lot of confidence in this team. We have many young players, and we can make things difficult for our opponents. We don’t just think about getting out of the group; I think we can actually walk away with a medal,” the former FC Barcelona striker said in a separate interview with fifa.com on Wednesday.

Nigeria's record at the Olympics is not fun to read with the Super Falcons registering one win and eight defeats in nine previous matches.

Coach of the former African champions, Randy Waldrum, knows a positive result against Brazil is crucial for boosting the team's morale ahead of their remaining group matches against World Cup winners Spain on July 28 at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes and Japan at the same venue on July 31.