Paris 2024 Olympics: ‘We have analyzed many Nigerian games from a year and a half and they are a team that concedes few goals’

Coach of Brazil women’s team, Arthur Elias has warned his players the quality of the Super Falcons team they are facing Thursday in their opening game of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Bordeaux, France.

Elias told his ladies the Nigerians are ‘strong in plays that start with set pieces and counterattacks, and uses a lot of physical strength to impose itself on the game. It has an experienced team, in which most of its athletes play in Europe.’

‘We have analyzed many Nigerian games from a year and a half to now. It is a team that concedes few goals. So much so that in last year’s World Cup, they were eliminated only in the knockout stage, and in the penalty shootout, after a 0-0 draw with England, who were runners-up,’ Elias was quoted as saying on Brazil Federation’s official website.

Brazil and Nigeria are in Group C of the women’s football tournament at the Olympics. They are joined by Japan and Spain, who also face each other this Thursday at the La Beaujoire Stadium in Nantes.

Elias says the best way to beat the Super Falcons is by taking control of the game.

‘It is important that our objectives have been met so far and we have been able to consolidate our game model. Nigeria is a strong team, has athletes with a lot of speed and a very good transition, exploits the aerial ball well, with players who are in good form at their clubs,’ said the Brazilian coach.