FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
Nigeria vs. Canada
July 20 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia

Canada’s 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign begins in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday night, as they open their Group B schedule against Nigeria.

As the reigning Olympic champions, Canada come into this competition knowing that they can compete, and win against, the best teams in the world. They believe that they can lift the World Cup trophy at Stadium Australia on August 20, exactly one month after their tournamant-opener, but before they can get there they have to deal with what is being dubbed “the group of death”.

“Our chances are high if we play our game, we focus on ourselves, we have all the details,” Vanessa Gilles said confidently to reporters in Toronto in June. “We’re going in it to win it.”

“We definitely have a culture and an environment that’s conducive to team chemistry, to winning, to being honest with each other, which not many national teams can beat,” she added.

The road to get there starts on Thursday night (Canadian time, Friday in Australia) in Melbourne against Nigeria, before they take on the Republic of Ireland in Perth, and then the co-hosts Australia back in Melbourne. Each one of these teams has the potential to get out of the group, and has star players capable of unlocking their opponents and dominating matches. There are never easy games at the World Cup, but every single point in this group will be absolutely crucial.

Despite being the lowest-ranked team in Group B, the Super Eagles will be a strong first test for Canada. Asisat Oshoala is one of those aforementioned star players, with the Barcelona forward and Ballon d’Or nominee one of the premier attackers in world football. She is a finisher, scoring 30 goals in 41 national team appearances and a key part of the Barcelona team that won the Champions League this year for their second in three seasons.

Oshoala is the standout name, but this Nigerian team is full of quality. American dual-national Ifeoma Onumonu is a longtime NWSL forward currently playing for NJ/NY Gotham FC, and Uchenna Kanu of Racing Louisville FC is also in the squad. In midfield, Christy Ucheibe is a name that will be familar to Cloé Lacasse, with the duo playing together at Benfica the last few seasons. Atlético Madrid forward Rasheedat Ajibade will also be among their key players, capable of making a difference on the ball to create goals, or putting them into the back of the net herself.

Like Canada, Nigeria have a 40-year-old captain who is their trusty leader but likely playing in her final World Cup. Centre-back Onome Ebi, playing in her sixth World Cup, has made over 100 appearances since her debut in 2003. She’ll be tasked with stopping Canada’s captain Christine Sinclair and whoever else Bev Priestman opts to use in attack.

RELATED READING: Women’s World Cup 2023: Canada Team Guide || Women’s World Cup 2023: Canada Player Profiles

Canada will counter with a star-studded team of their own that has ambitions of winning the entire tournament. The aforementioned Sinclair will be a key player as always, as will Chelsea trio Jessie Fleming, Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence, and San Diego Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan — undoubtedly one of the best shotstoppers in the world. This Canada squad is missing a few players (notably Janine Beckie, Desiree Scott and Jade Rose), but has some of the world’s best players, and knows from experience that it is capable of beating anyone.

Speaking of Fleming, her availability remains to be seen after she wasn’t a full participant in training this week. She is dealing with a minor injury, but Bev Priestman has maintained that she will able to play in Canada’s Group B opener. How much Fleming can play remains to be seen, however.

These sides have only met five times in their history, with two of those meetings coming in April 2022 during Canada’s Olympic gold medal celebration tour. The first of the two matches was at BC Place in Vancouver, with the other coming a few days later a short ferry ride away in Langford. After Canada won 2-0 in the first of the two games thanks to second half goals from Jessie Fleming and Vanessa Gilles, the second match on the Island ended in a draw. Ifeoma Onumonu opened the scoring early with a backheel past Sheridan, before Sinclair tied things up with a chipped shot over the head of Cynthia Nnadozie, who was well off her line. Busayo Ajibade scored in the second half to give the visitors the lead, but Shelina Zadorsky rescued Canada late to earn a 2-2 draw.

The meeting before that between these two sides came in 2019, in the leadup to the 2019 World Cup, in a friendly match that Canada won 2-1 in Murcia, Spain.

Both teams will be looking to get off to a good start as they look to advance out of the group stage. Australia and Republic of Ireland play on Thursday morning, so they will have an idea of where the rest of the group stands before they kick off their own tournament, but they will both also be vying to pick up the maximum nine points.

With England likely looming in the next round for the second-place team in Group B, finishing first is important, and it all gets underway on Thursday.

PROJECTED CANADA XI:

Sheridan; Riviere, Buchanan, Gilles, Lawrence; Fleming, Grosso; Leon, Sinclair, Lacasse; Huitema

ALL-TIME SERIES

Nigeria wins: 1 || Canada wins: 2 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

April 11, 2022 – Canada 2-2 Nigeria