Nigeria faces tough group stage battle at FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

The Super Falcons have reached the knockout stage twice in nine appearances

Nigeria's Super Falcons are in Group B of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will jointly organise.

The Women's World Cup is slated to run from July 20 to August 20, 2023, for a total of one month.

The senior-level WC is being co-hosted for the first time by two nations, and it also marks the inaugural World Cup to span various associations.

The Super Falcons were placed in group B together with Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland.

Canada's two World Cup matches against Nigeria ended in draws (3-3 in 1995 and a 1-0 loss in 2011). The 2015 FIFA World Cup match between Australia and Nigeria resulted in a 2-0 win for the Australian team.

While the Europeans are participating in the FIFA World Cup for the first time this year, Ireland and the Super Falcons have not previously met.

Nigeria conducted preliminary matches against the USWNT, the Canadian women's national team, and the Nadeshiko of Japan before the World Cup.

Although the US Women's National Squad upset the Nigerian team 4-0 on September 6 and 2-1 in the following month in 2022, Japan overcame Nigeria 2-0 in October.

Traditionally the dominant nation on the African continent and participant in each FIFA Women's World Cup since 1991, the Super Falcons have taken home the Women's Africa Cup of Nations 11 times. The quarterfinals of the FIFA senior women's tournament still stand as their best result.

In their first two World Cup appearances, the Super Falcons suffered defeat in the group round. They didn't succeed in making it to the knockout rounds until the 1999 tournament, which the United States of America staged.

Nigeria Women will be hoping to go deeper into the tournament despite being underdogs.