Nigeria’s Senior Women Football National Team, the Super Falcons, have arrived Japan for an International friendly with the Nadeshiko Japan.
The Super Falcons departed Nigeria on Saturday morning accompanied by invited home-based players and the technical crew.
They touched down Japan on Monday afternoon and have arrived the venue of the clash with Japan, Kobe Venue, and are expected to kick off preparations for the game.
Meanwhile, two new players Peace Efih and Ucheibe Christy have joined the team in Japan.
The Japan women's national football team or nicknamed Nadeshiko Japan represents Japan in women's association football and is run by the Japan Football Association (JFA).
They are the most successful women's national team from the Asian Football Confederation.
The highest ranking in the FIFA Women's World Rankings achieved by the team is 3rd, during the December 2011 rankings.
Nadeshiko Japan defeated the United States in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, thus claiming their first FIFA Women's World Cup title, becoming the first Asian team to do so and only the fourth women's world champions.
They won silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, making them the only Asian team to have three combined medals from international championships.
They also won gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cups, the 2010 and 2018 Asian Games, and the 2008, 2010, and 2019 EAFF Football Championships.
This would be the fourth meeting between the Super Falcons of Nigeria and Nadeshiko Japan.
Both teams have clashed only once at competitive level – at the 2004 Olympic Women’s Football Tournament. Nadeshiko pipped the Falcons 1-0 at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus on 14th August 2004.
The other two times the duo met was during two back-to-back International friendlies in 2013 which the Nadeshiko won 2-0.
The Super Falcons will be looking for their first win against the Asian giants when they battle.
The game against Japan will be Super Falcons’ third consecutive friendly after the 2022 Women's African Cup of Nations.
ABIAZIEM OLISA