Nigeria have bowed out of the womens football tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games after suffering a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Japan at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Wednesday evening.
The Super Falcons came into the game with a slim chance of advancing from Group C, but a third defeat at the tournament has left them at the bottom of the standings and heading for an early flight home from France.
The result also means that Japan advanced into the quarterfinals alongside Group C winners Spain, with third-place Brazil likely to join them but waiting on results from elsewhere through the course of the evening.
After asserting their dominance through the opening phase of the match, Japan claimed the lead on 22 minutes when Riko Ueki unselfishly teed up Maika Hamano for a tap-in at close range.
Ten minutes later Mina Tanaka doubled the lead, as she powered a header onto the crossbar but had the quick reaction to follow-up on the rebound and force home a second goal.
