The Lionesses have reached the knock-out stages of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, where they will face Nigeria in the round of 16.
Sarina Wiegman’s side topped Group D with three wins. Although the 1-0 victories over Haiti and Denmark were a little underwhelming, given England’s status as European Champions, they hit their stride in the 6-1 victory over China.
Nigeria finished second in Group B, but with only one win. The African side drew 0-0 with Canada and were also goalless in the stalemate against Ireland. In between, however, they shocked Australia with a 3-2 victory.
The winners of this match will play in the quarter-finals against whichever team progresses from the knockout match between the second-placed side from Group F and the winners of Group H.
What and when is it?
Kick-off is at 8.30am UK time (6.30pm local time) on Monday, August 7.
This is the fifth of eight matches in the first round of the knockouts.
Where is the match being played?
England vs Nigeria is at the Brisbane Stadium, which has a tournament capacity of 46,851.
England’s opening game of the tournament, the victory over Haiti, was watched by 44,369 fans. Just over 40,000 watched the victory over Denmark but only 13,497 were in attendance for the win against China.
How to watch
The match is being shown on BBC One, with coverage starting at 8am, fronted by Gabby Logan.
Broadcasting rights for the Women’s World Cup are being shared between BBC and ITV. Because the BBC got the first pick of the round-of-16 games (and chose this fixture), ITV will broadcast England’s quarter-final, should the Lionesses progress.
What do I need to know about Nigeria?
World ranking: 40
How did they get to the World Cup? By making it to the semi-finals of the 2022 African Cup of Nations. The country have won the continental competition a record 11 times.
Who is their manager?
American Randy Waldrum originally turned down the role of Nigeria Women’s manager in 2017, but he returned in 2020 to coach the side and successfully led them to World Cup qualification. He has been coaching since 1978, when he took charge of the Pittsburgh State University Women’s team, and is best known for his three-year spell as head coach at Houston Dash in the NWSL.
Who is their key player?
Five-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year winner Asisat Oshoala is the standout player for the Super Falcons. The Barcelona striker is regarded as one of the best goalscorers in the world and won the Champions League with the Catalan club in 2023.
What is their record at the World Cup?
Nigeria have qualified for every Women’s World Cup tournament, with their most successful campaign coming in 1999 when they reached the quarter-finals. Despite their domestic dominance, they have progressed past the World Cup group stage just once since then, reaching the round of 16 in 2019.
What are England saying?
England boss Sarina Wiegman lauded the Lionesses’ adaptability after a system shake-up sparked a thumping 6-1 victory over China in the final group-stage match.
The Lione ss es had not scored more than once in their opening two matches but came alive on a crisp night in front of 13,497 at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium to seal top spot in Group D.
Wiegman took a gamble as she swapped England’s usual 4-3-3 for a 3-5-2 formation, and she was rewarded with goals from five different players including a brace from Chelsea prodigy Lauren James, who also picked up three assists.
“I think we are growing into this tournament,” said Wiegman, “I think we had a great performance. Of course we made a choice and went for it.
“Everyone really believed in it [the formation] straight away and you could see that on the pitch. They were really excited about it. We want to use the qualities of the squad as optimal as possible. The team showed they were really adaptable.
“I think you could see from the whole team that we were enjoying ourselves, you could tell that we were really connected, the ball is going around and we have different ways to go in attack, and of course Lauren James was one of them when she scored the goals.
“You saw that the team was enjoying every goal, except the one from China.”
What are the odds?
- England to win 2/7
- Nigeria to win 12/1
- Draw 5/1
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Who is in England’s squad?
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City)
Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Katie Zelem (Manchester United)
Forwards: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Bethany England (Tottenham Hotspur), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Alessia Russo (Manchester United)
