Nigeria at Women's World Cup: what to expect from England's round of 16 opponents

England’s Lionesses are through to the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup and they are aiming to once again lift silverware after their European Championship triumph last summer.

Sarina Wiegman’s side kicked off their campaign in fine fashion with a perfect three wins from three group stage games including an impressive 6-1 victory over China. 

However, the Lionesses face their toughest test yet in the tournament as they approach the business stage of the competition and they have been paired against a Nigeria side who are determined to cause an upset.

But what can England expect from their opponents in the next game and who are the main threats to watch out for?

Here is everything you need to know about the Nigeria national team ahead of the crucial World Cup clash.

Nigeria’s World Cup campaign so far

Nigeria were drawn in Group B of the Women’s World Cup and they faced tough competition from co-hosts Australia, Canada and tournament debutants Republic of Ireland.

The African outfit entered the tournament as slight outsiders to progress to the knockout stages and kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Canada. Nigeria keeper Chiamaka Nndadozie was the hero of the day and she produced a second half penalty save to deny Chritine Sinclair from the spot.

Nigeria followed this result up with an impressive 3-2 victory against co-hosts Australia with Uchenna Kanu, Osinachi Ohale and Asisat Oshoala all on the scoresheet.

They ended their group stage campaign with a 0-0 draw against the Republic of Ireland to book their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Who is the Nigeria manager?

Nigeria have been led into the World Cup by Randy Waldrum.

The American is a former footballer in the American Soccer League who played in midfield for Los Angeles Skyhawks, Indianapolis Daredevils and New York Cosmos.

Waldrum has been involved in football management since 1978 and has had different roles in women’s football including at Pittsburg State University, University of Tulsa, Baylor University, University of Notre Dame, Trinidad and Tobago, Houston Dash and University of Pittsburgh.

He was appointed national team manager of Nigeria women in October 2020 and oversaw their qualification campaign into this year’s Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria World Cup record

Nigeria have qualified for every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament of 1991.

In this period The Super Falcons have progressed from the group stage on three separate occasions - 1999, 2019 and 2023.

Their best campaign came in 1999 when they reached the quarter-final stage of the competition. However, their dreams were crushed by Brazil who beat them 4-3 in extra time with Sissi scoring the golden goal.

Away from the World Cup, Nigeria are the most successful team in Africa and they have been crowned champions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on 11 different occasions.

Their most recent triumph came in 2018 when they defeated South Africa on penalties in the final.

Nigeria’s key players

Nigeria are viewed by some experts as dark horses for the Women’s World Cup and they are blessed with the goal scoring prowess of former Liverpool striker Asisat Oshoala.

The five-time African Footballer of the Year is a key player for the Barcelona team and she has helped them win four Primera Division titles and two UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies.

Atletico Madrid’s Rasheet Ajibade is another player capable of causing problems for the England defence. The 23-year-old finished as the top scorer in the 2022 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.