.
Nigeria's Chiamaka Nnadozie, the 2023 African Goalkeeper of the Year and a regular at Paris FC (D1 France), is dreaming of one thing in 2024: taking part in the Olympic Games in Paris. To achieve this, she will first have to get past Cameroon, who are in the Super Falcons' path.
In France, behind the untouchable Lyon and PSG, Paris FC has positioned itself as the best women's team in the D1 Arkena in recent years. Chiamaka Nnadozie has played a major role in the club's success in climbing to the top of the French league and even reaching the Champions League this season. The Nigerian goalkeeper is a real wall. At the age of 23, she is a benchmark in her position and is followed by several top English clubs, including Chelsea.
"It would be a disappointment not to play in the Olympic Games in Paris"
For the moment, however, the woman who joined Paris FC in 2020 is enjoying life in France. And her biggest objective this year is, in her opinion, qualification for the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris, the city where she feels as at home as she does in Nigeria. "There are three or four of us in this squad who play in France. Everyone is very happy that the Olympics will still be held in France. Even my partners at PFC are saying to me: 'Please, Maka, you have to qualify so that we can come and see you and cheer you on!" confides Chiamaka Nnadozie on the FIFA website.
"France is my second home, and I'm delighted that the tournament is taking place there. I really want to be part of it and play this competition in the country where I live today. Paris is an incredible city, very beautiful, with incredible people. I feel at home in Paris. Sometimes, when I'm there, I even feel like I'm in Nigeria, I have everything I need there. It would be a real disappointment not to play in the Olympics there," adds the Orlu native, who has 84 games to her name with Paris FC.
"I have great confidence in my team".
In order to qualify for the 2024 Olympics, Nigeria will have to get rid of Cameroon this week in a double confrontation counting for the 3rd and penultimate qualifying round. "It's a very tough match against Cameroon. They're a very good team with some very good, experienced players. We have to be wary, but I have great confidence in my team. We can't rest on our laurels against them. We just need to train harder, work harder and stick together. If we do that, I think we'll be able to beat them," says Chiamaka Nnadozie, named best African goalkeeper in 2023 by the Confederation of African Football.
Should Nigeria overcome Cameroon, they will then have to overcome the last opponent in the Super Falcons' path in the 4th qualifying round in April.
