Paris 2024 Olympics: What Japan’s coach said following his side’s victory over Nigeria

Jennifer Echegini scored Nigeria's first goal in four games. The Super Falcons have been solid defensively but have been poor in attack.

Coach of the Japanese female football team, Futoshi Ikeda, was relieved to have defeated the Super Falcons in their final group game of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nadeshiko recovered from their loss to Spain against Brazil, scoring two late goals to grab all three points against the Brazilians who defeated Nigeria in their first game.
Japan needed at least a point at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes yesterday to seal their qualification to the quarter-finals but cruised to a 3-1 victory over Randy Waldrum’s side.
Goals from Maiko Hamano, Mina Tanaka and Hikaru Kitagawa meant Jennifer Echegini’s stunning strike was nothing more than a consolation for the 11-time African Champions.
Speaking about his team’s quarter final berth, the Japanes coach was delighted to have qualified from the supposed “Group of death”.
“First of all, I’m happy that we were able to get through this tough group. Even though we lost the first match, we managed to win against Brazil but the manner in which it was won made it very emotional and that made the next match difficult but we fought well. Things haven’t been easy, we had a lot of things happen with a few injuries but I’m happy to see us overcoming that and showcasing the team’s strength. Recovery is key for the next few days. At the Olympics, the best eight teams are all strong. When we face them, we will take a good look at what we can do and get in shape,” the 53-year-old said in quotes revealed by AFC.
Japan will play against the United States of America in the quarter final of the Paris 2024 Olympics on Saturday.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Share
Published by
Adefolahan Guerreiro

Recent Posts

Nottingham Forest unwilling to sell Super Eagles star despite exit links

English Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest are unwilling to sell Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi… Read More

43 minutes ago

Footballer turned Golfer: Odemwingie hungry to raise Olympic-level competitors in Nigeria

Former Super Eagles and LOSC Lille striker, Peter Osaze Odemwingie, is putting in the underground… Read More

6 hours ago

From John Finch to Éric Chelle: Who are the 37 coaches that have led the Super Eagles?

The appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles… Read More

7 hours ago

Trabzonspor make fresh transfer decision on Bruno Onyemaechi as Boavista insist on ₦4.7 billion deal

Trabzonspor's bid to secure Nigerian international Bruno Onyemaechi from Portuguese side Boavista has reportedly stalled… Read More

7 hours ago

Crystal Palace vs Stockport: Super Eagles’ Bright Osayi-Samuel reacts to Eze Eberechi’s standout performance

Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has praised the performance of Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze… Read More

7 hours ago

Nigeria-eligible Chelsea midfielder closes in on Borussia Dortmund move following Maresca’s statement

Nigeria-eligible Chelsea midfielder, Carney Chibueze Chukwuemeka, is nearing a move to Bundesliga giants, Borussia Dortmund,… Read More

8 hours ago