Ethiopia 1-1 Nigeria: Ajibade saves Super Falcons' blushes in Addis Ababa stalemate

• Nigeria forced Ethiopia to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifier played at the Abebe Bikila Stadium on Wednesday.

The Super Falcons were without head coach, Randy Waldrum, who was unavailable because of personal commitments in the United States.

And the American tactician's absence was felt early in the game as the Nigerian women's national team looked disjointed in attack and unsure in defence.

The Ethiopians made the former African champions pay for their unconvincing display as the home side took the lead within the opening seven minutes following a poorly managed goalmouth scramble.

Despite improvement in their build-up from defence to attack, the Super Falcons could not find the equaliser until early in the second half through Rasheedat Ajibade.

Ajibade met a terrible Ethiopia clearance at the edge of the box and sent a fine drive beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.

Nigeria could not find the winner despite creating several goalscoring chances, but the Falcons will aim to raise their game when both teams meet in the return leg.

The nine-time African champions will host Ethiopia at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, on Sunday, October 31st.

The winner of that clash will qualify for the next round of the qualifier, where they will meet the victor of the Cameroon/Uganda fixture.