Nigeria undaunted against Women’s World Cup co-host Australia after its opening draw against Canada

By BROOKE EVANS
Associated Press

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Nigeria has already held Olympic champion Canada to a 0-0 draw and is determined to stay unbeaten when it takes on co-host Australia at the Women’s World Cup. The Super Falcons’ tough draw for the group stage starts with back-to-back games against seventh-ranked Canada and 10th-ranked Australia. Nigeria advanced to the round of 16 at the 2019 Women’s World Cup and yet hasn’t been favored to advance out of the group this time. Nigeria’s captain Onome Ebi says her team is embracing the underdog status: “We like it when people don’t believe in us, so they will think we are just pushovers.”