Nigeria 1-3 Japan: Super Falcons exit Paris 2024 Olympics

• Nigeria fell to a third straight consecutive defeat
• Jennifer Echegini scored Nigeria's first and only goal at the Paris Olympics
• The Falcons are out of the Olympic Games

Nigeria's Super Falcons have crashed out of the 2024 Paris Olympics after suffering a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Japan on Wednesday.

Jennifer Echegini got Nigeria's first and only goal of the tournament but Japan's Hikaru Kitagawa, Maika Hamano, and Mina Tanaka fired the goals that condemned Nigeria to a tough loss in Nantes.

Ahead of kickoff, Nigeria knew a win over Japan could be enough to secure them a quarterfinals spot as one of the third-best placed teams, despite losing both of their first games in France against Brazil and Spain.

However, the Super Falcons failed to rise to the occasion, as Hamano handed Japan the lead in the 22nd minute.

Tanaka capitalised on poor Nigerian defending to extend Japan's lead ten minutes later as the Super Falcons' terrible start got worse.

Coach Randy Waldrum's girls appeared to wake up from their slumber late in the half when Echegini combined with Christy Ucheibe before unleashing a thunderous effort into the net to reduce the deficit.

With her goal, Echegini became only the fourth Nigerian woman to score a goal at the Olympics after Mercy Akide, Perpetual Nkwocha, and Vera Okolo.

However, Nigerian fans had barely settled down from celebrating that fine Echegini strike when Kitagawa restored Japan's two-goal cushion with a brilliant freekick.

It was a mountain too steep for the Super Falcons to climb after the break as the team exited the Olympics without a win in 20 years.