Women’s World Cup 2019/Nigeria

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This article is about the Nigerian national women’s football team at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. Nigeria took part in the finals for the eighth time and remains the only African team to qualify for all World Cup finals. For the tournament in France, Nigeria qualified as a finalist of the Women’s Africa Cup 2018, which the team won against South Africa. In France, Nigeria survived the group phase for the first time since 1999. As the fourth best group third was lost in the round of eight against the two-time world champion Germany.

Qualification

For the Africa Cup, which served as qualification for the World Cup finals as in previous years, Nigeria, which has been coached by Sweden Thomas Dennerby since February 2018, had to qualify in two games in June 2018 in the second qualifying round against Gambia, which were won 1-0 and 6-0.

Thomas Dennerby nominated 21 players for the tournament in Ghana, including nine players who were already in the squad at the 2015 World Cup. In addition, Rasheedat Ajibade, Anam Imo and Glory Ogbonna were three players from the squad of the U-20 World Cup 2018 in the team.

The record champion met South Africa in the first game and lost with 0:1 – the only goal for the Nigerians in the seven games. In the second game against Zambia was won with 4-0. By a 6-0 against Equatorial Guinea – whereby Equatorial Guinea conceded the two highest international defeats within three days – Nigeria was second in the group and met in the semi-finals on Cameroon, against which Nigeria had won in the last two matches in the final. Since this time both teams failed in 120 minutes, had to decide the penalty shooting, in which Nigeria prevailed with 4:2 and qualified for the World Cup finals. The subsequent final against South Africa was also won after 120 minutes in penalty shooting.

During the tournament and the two qualifiers, at least 18 players were used. Five players (goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, Ngozi Ebere, Onome Ebi, Francisca Ordega and Asisat Oshoala) were used in all seven games.

In total, the Nigerians scored 17 goals in the seven games. Desire Oparanozie (7, 4 in qualifying) and Asisat Oshoala (5, 2 in qualifying). In total, five Nigerian players met in the seven games.

Qualification

Group games

Semi-finals

Final

Preparation
On January 17, the Nigerians lost in the four-nation tournament in the semi-final in Wuhua against hosts China with 0:3, then won the game for third place on 20th against Romania with 4:1. At the end of February/beginning of March 2019, Nigeria participated in the Cyprus Cup for the first time. After a 1-4 loss to Austria, a 4-3 victory against Slovakia and