June 20, (THEWILL) – The Super Falcons of Nigeria, nine times African champions, will play the Senior Women’s National Team of Japan in a high-profile international friendly match at Kobe’s Noevir Stadium on Thursday, October 6, 2022 as part of their activities during that late FIFA Women’s International Window.
The Women’s National Team of Japan, known as Nadeshiko Japan, is ranked 13th in the world, while the Super Falcons are ranked 39th and both sides have previously met once in a competitive match. That game, at the 2004 Olympic Women’s Football Tournament, on August 14, 2004, ended in favour of the Japanese as the Nadeshiko defeated the Falcons 1-0 at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.
Apart from that competitive game, the Nadeshiko won two consecutive friendlies in 2013 by a score of 2-0 each. The Japanese seized the attention of the footballing world in 2011. After a 2-2 tie in regulation time, the Nadeshiko won the FIFA World Cup in Germany, defeating Team USA in a tense penalty shoot-out. As a result, the Japanese women became the first Asian team to win a senior FIFA World Cup trophy.
On their own part, the Super Falcons have been the African continent’s perennial champions and have competed in every FIFA Women’s World Cup since 1991, reaching the quarterfinals in 1999.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
