The Super Falcons are due to take on Japan in another friendly after their mini-tour of the United States of America.
The nine-time African champions lost 4-0 to the United States Women’s National Team on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri but posted a much improved performance in the early hours of today in a 2-1 defeat in Washington, DC.
Oluwatosin Demehin inadvertently gave USWNT the lead with an own goal but Uchenna Kanu equalised with the Super Falcons’ first goal in 22 years against the world champions.
Rose Lavelle netted the winner for the US but the Super Falcons would be encouraged by their performance.
The team left the US today and are already thinking about the game against another top team in Japan ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Falcons will face Japan in the high-profile friendly match at the Noevir Stadium, Kobe on October 6, the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed today.
The date falls within one of the FIFA women’s international windows for this year.
Japan are ranked 11th in the world by FIFA, 35 spots above Nigeria, who are still Africa’s highest-placed team despite only finishing fourth at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July.
Both teams have clashed only once at competitive level – at the Athens 2004 Olympic Women’s Football Tournament –with Japan winning 1-0 in Piraeus.
Two back-to-back friendlies in 2013 were won 2-0 each by Japan, who won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011.
