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The Super Falcons defeated Australia to win their first game of the Women's World Cup, moving one step closer to securing a spot in the round of 16.
In the final seconds of the first half, Randy Waldrum's squad fell behind, but Uchenna Kanu's goal made things even four minutes before the break.
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Osinachi Ohale added the second goal within the first 10 minutes of the second half with a rebound header that was first saved by the Australian goalie.
Asisat Oshoala, the main player for the Super Falcons, entered the game to score the third goal when an Australian defender made a mistake, leaving the striker with an open goal.
Australia scored a goal in stoppage time, but it wasn't enough to earn them a point against a tenacious Nigerian team, with the game ending 3-2.
With Nigeria sealing their first win of the tournament, we take a look at five tactics used by the Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum against Australia.
1. Winning 50/50 balls
One of the tactics used by the Nigerian coach is instructing his team to win most of the 50/50 balls or come out on top when challenging for the ball.
They improved in that aspect which gave them a good chance going forward and creating dangerous attacks unlike against Canada.
The Super Falcons were able to score three goals from the run of play which was helped by winning most of their challenges against Australia.
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2. Utilising the ball on quick transitions
Winning 50/50 ball is not enough if a team can not make use of their transitions when with the ball.
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Nigeria's gameplay was to play on the counter-attack and they needed to be able to turn those interceptions into quick transitions.
Randy Waldrum taught them well and we saw how quick they were with the first goal and the third goal which was scored.
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3. Limiting Australia’s aerial ability
This is one useful tactic used by Randy Waldrum against Australia, knowing how good they are on the air.
The Super Falcons defenders made sure that every cross into the box were headed out or intercepted in any way they could.
Australia had the most corners and the most crosses in the game but could only score one headed goal against Nigeria.
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4. Counter attacking football
The Super Falcons in this tournament are known for their counter-attacking football and they made a lot of improvements using this tactic against Australia.
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Randy Waldrum made sure that he used players who have the legs to run when moving the ball on a counterattack.
The likes of Ajibade and Kanu are very fast and can beat any defender for pace which was vital in the Super Falcons win.
5. Utilising our aerial threat
While the Super Falcons stopped Australia from utilising their aerial threat, it was important that Nigeria also capitalise on their aerial abilities to create chances.
Randy Waldrum made sure that they were dangerous from either set-pieces or from crosses into the box.
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The Super Falcons' first goal came from a cross into the box which the Australians failed to clear properly and the second goal came from a corner kick which the Australian also failed to clear properly.
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