Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Preview, Prediction, Team Squads, Predicted Lineups, and More

Canada and Nigeria will both hope to leave a mark on the competition in a long-awaited conflict between two lasting World Cup underperformers. Canada are reigning Olympic champions while Nigeria’s Super Falcons are encountering a downturn in form; they failed to win any medal in last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in spite of having won 11 of the 13 earlier versions.

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium will host an exceptionally fascinating Group B matchup between Nigeria and Canada on Friday.

This is a colossal match for the two teams in a flawlessly shaped group. Australia and Canada spring up as the main competitors to progress however any semblance of Nigeria and Ireland positively have the stuff to make their jobs harder en route.

Both Nigeria and Canada have come to Australia in awful spirits following the questions with their respective federations.

The two teams have gotten down on the representatives for the absence of funds accessible for women’s football and sports overall.

In any case, these things can at times just act as an extra bond among the players and it will be exceptionally fascinating to perceive how the outfits will respond in the first game at the competition.

Nigeria have highlighted in each and every Women’s FIFA World Cup while Canada have missed only one up to this point.

The Super Falcons have shown extraordinary form this year, celebrating three progressive successes in the development of the competition. The most recent came in April when Nigeria saw off co-hosts New Zealand 0-3 on the road.

Canada have confronted significantly more serious resistance in their pre-World Cup friendlies. They lost three of four matches this year yet these losses have come to any semblance of the United States, Japan, and France.

It is actually important that Canada have dispatched any semblance of Brazil 0-2 all the while. Canada have one of the best right-backs on earth in their ranks in the like of Ashley Lawrence who has quite recently taken action against Chelsea.

Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Match Preview

Nigeria and Canada start off their 2023 Women’s World Cup campaigns with a match that the North Americans will surely feel they ought to win. In spite of the fact that Nigeria have a lot of World Cup family, having played at each and every edition of the competition up until this point, Canada are reigning Olympic champions and will be undeniably more confident of diving deep in the competition.

A considerable number of the members of their squad who won gold in Tokyo in 2020 are still near, so they have a lot of involvement with their positions. Christine Sinclair has an astounding 323 caps to her name, while Sophie Schmidt (221), Kadeisha Buchanan (131), Ashley Lawrence (117), and Jessie Fleming (115), Canada have four additional players with over 100 international caps. Their English coach, Bev Priestman, enjoyed two years as Phil Neville’s assistant with the Lionesses, and she understands the stuff to win a competition, having been in charge in Tokyo and having likewise won the SheBelieves Cup with England in 2019.

The reigning Olympic champions have consistently figured out how to arrive at the knockout stage in up next Women’s World Cup, while the USA has two times figured out how to win the World Cup straight after Olympic achievement, doing so in 1999 and 2015, so there is good reason to anticipate beneficial things from Canada.

Nigeria, in the meantime, are the only African team to play at each and every edition of the Women’s World Cup, yet they hold the undesirable record of having the least goal difference in the history of the competition (- 43), winning only four of their 26 matches.

Since the turn of the century, they have failed to score in 12 of their 16 matches at the Women’s World Cup and have won just two of those games. Nonetheless, maybe significantly, one of those wins was a 1-0 over Canada back in 2011, while the other was at the latest competition – a 2-0 win over South Korea in 2019. You can see the reason why Canada are top pick to win, however, Nigeria really do have a lot of value in their squad, with lots of players who play their club football in Europe or the USA.

Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala will be their key player at the competition, having scored 30 goals in 41 international appearances up to this point. With a goal at this competition, she would become the first African to score at three unique Women’s World Cup competitions.

Nigeria W and Canada meet on the 21st of July, as the two countries start off what could be an exceptionally competitive World Cup Group B.

The Super Falcons appear on the World Cup frantic to dazzle in the wake of losing the semi-final of the Africa Women Cup of Nations, while Canada failed to get group stage in the SheBelieves Cup.

Nigeria

Nigeria are set to contend at their 9th Women’s World Cup, which is more than some other team in Group B, yet the Super Falcons have just won four matches across that multitude of appearances, arriving at the knockout stage just two times up to this point.

On the off chance that Nigeria are to escape an extremely extreme Group B, they will require star striker Asisat Oshoala at her absolute best, the Barcelona forward having piled up goals for the sake of entertainment at club level and having likewise scored in every one of the past two Women’s World Cups.

Nigeria could be an extremely realistic outside competitor to qualify from Group B, however, their possibilities will probably be subject to their outcome in this fixture. The country is the only team from the CAF region to have arrived at each edition of the World Cup, however, they have just arrived at the knockout stage on one event.

Nigeria have not been really awful since their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations run, winning three of their five friendlies, with two losses against 25th-ranked Colombia and 35th-ranked Mexico. The Super Falcons are really the lowest-ranked side in Group B, getting themselves 30 places behind their Canadian rivals, and 18 afloat of any other person in this group.

Nigeria is at present the 40th-ranked team in the nation and on the off chance that they will get group stage, taking a few upsets is going. Despite the fact that they are underdogs, this is a team that has certainty heading into the competition and they have dominated three matches in succession.

On April 11th they went head to head against New Zealand and they had the option to get a 3-0 triumph. They just had 47% of the belongings however had seven shots on target. Onome Ebi opened up the scoring in the 34th minute. Chiamaka Nnadozie is expected to begin in goal here, and she will have to have a major event. The defense will need to be strong overall if they have any desire to get an opportunity here.

Canada

Canada is one of the best teams in women’s soccer history, having won the Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Nonetheless, they have never previously won the World Cup, with their best appearance coming in 2003, as they finished up the event in fourth spot.

2020 Olympic Gold Medallists Canada are once again at the World Cup and the side at present positioned seventh in the world are wanting to tremendously enhance 2019, which saw them beaten in the Round of 16, and thinking of them as competitors for the enormous prize wouldn’t be an exercise of blind faith.

Head coach Bev Priestman has had various wounds to battle with leading into the competition and will be without any semblance of Jade Rose and Desiree Scott, also Janine Beckie, who stays a long-term absentee in the wake of suffering an ACL injury earlier this year.

Canada are one of the top picks to get bunch however they come in to this competition with exceptionally poor. Beverly Priestman’s men lost four of their last five matches, surrendering nine goals in the process.

On the opposite side of this matchup is Canada who have elevated requirements for this season subsequent to winning the Olympics a couple of years ago. Canada has battled heading into this game losing two in succession. On April 11th they went head to head against France and they were defeated 2-1. Jordyn Huitema scored in the 71st minute.

Kadiesha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles are both expected to begin with the defense here, and both will be key during the competition. One unavoidable issue for Canada heading into this game is the situation with Jessie Fleming. There are worries over her fitness however the expectation is that she will be all set in this game. This game could come down to the event that Christine Sinclair can track down the rear of the net in this one.

Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Head-to-head (h2h)

Nigeria and Canada have met 5 times previously, and two of those meetings have come in Women’s World Cups. Nigeria are unbeaten in those two World Cup meetings, yet they came rather a long time in the past – a 3-3 draw in 1995 and the previously mentioned 1-0 win for Nigeria in 2011.

Canada have beaten Nigeria two times in friendlies in recent years, before the sides played out a 2-2 draw in their latest meeting in April 2022. That day, Nigeria two times started to lead the pack, however were fixed back twice. Canada just barely figured out how to save a draw in the 88th minute.

These two teams met each other two times last year in friendlies as Canada dominated and drew one match each, scoring two goals in each.

Overall, Canada have two wins, two draws, and one loss in the last five meetings with Nigeria. The Over 2.5 goals FT and The two Teams To Score pick arrived in three of these five trips.

When is Nigeria vs Canada on and what time does it begin?

Nigeria vs Canada will happen on Friday 21st July, 2023 – 03:30 (UK).

Where is Nigeria vs Canada happening?

Nigeria vs Canada will happen at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

What channel is Nigeria vs Canada on in the UK?

Nigeria vs Canada will be broadcast live on BBC Two.

Where can I stream Nigeria vs Canada in the UK?

Nigeria versus Canada can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Prediction

The two teams have excessively much experience of losing World Cup matches, with Nigeria having lost a bigger number of games at WWCs than some other side (19), and Canada following not far behind them having lost the third most (14).

The Opta supercomputer figures all things considered, Nigeria will make it 20 losses by losing this one, as Canada have a 58.4% possibility getting each of the three points to begin Group B in the most effective way conceivable. Notwithstanding, Nigeria have dominated their last three matches in the number one spot up to this World Cup and will trust they can expand that run of form into the actual competition. The Opta supercomputer allows a 17.8% chance of that occurrence.

There are a lot of explanations behind confidence on Canada’s side leading into the World Cup and they ought to partake in by far most of play here against Nigeria. While evaluating the two teams, Canada hope to have the edge, despite the fact that Nigeria gloat a selection of very talented individual players, for example, Oshoala, who could simple rebuff them whenever given sufficient room to take advantage of. In any case, when you consider Nigeria’s battles as far as readiness because of their supposed debates with the Nigerian Football League, it would be nothing unexpected to see them get having a difficult time in the competition. Back Canada to beat them by somewhere around two clear goals.

Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Team Squads

Nigeria Team Squad

Ashleigh Plumptre, Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Desire Oparanozie, Deborah Abiodun, Esther Okoronkwo, Francisca Ordega, Gift Monday, Glory Ogbonna, Ifeoma Onumonu, Jennifer Echegini, Michelle Alozie, Oluwatosin Demehin, Onome Ebi, Osinachi Ohale, Tochukwu Oluehi, Toni Payne, Uchenna Kanu, Rasheedat Ajibade, Halimatu Ayinde, Rofiat Imuran, Yewande Balogun.

Canada Team Squad

Allysha Chapman, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leon, Cloé Lacasse, Christine Sinclair, Deanne Rose, Evelyne Viens, Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Jayde Riviere, Jordyn Huitema, Kailen Sheridan, Kadeisha Buchanan, Lysianne Proulx, Olivia Smith, Shelina Zadorsky, Quinn, Sophie Schmidt, Vanessa Gilles, Nichelle Prince, Gabrielle Carle, Sabrina D’Angelo, Simi Awujo

Nigeria vs Canada, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – Predicted Lineups

Nigeria Predicted Lineup

PREDICTED XI (4-1-4-1): Nnadozie; Alozie, Demehin, Ebi, Imuran; Ayinde; Abiodun, Ajibade, Okoronkwo, Payne; Oshoala

UNAVAILABLE: –

QUESTIONABLE: –

Canada Predicted Lineup

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Sheridan; Buchanan, Chapman, Gilles, Lawrence; Fleming, Grosso, Schmidt; Huitema; Leon, Sinclair

UNAVAILABLE: Beckie (Injured), Rose (Injured), Scott (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: –

Philippines vs Switzerland Live Stream, TV Channel

	TV channel	Streaming
USA	FS1, Universo	Fubo, Peacock, Universo NOW, Fox Sports GO
UK	ITV 1, STV Scotland	ITVX, STV Player
Australia	—	Optus Sport
Canada	TSN1, TSN4, TSN5	Fubo, TSN+, RDS app
India	—	1Stadia
New Zealand	Sky Sport 1 NZ	Sky Sport NOW, Sky Go
Singapore	—	StarHub TV+
Hong Kong	Now TV	Viu TV