Nigerian-Australians celebrate Falcons’ World Cup win over Matildas

Nigerians living in Australia were in a celebratory mood over the Super Falcons’ victory against the Matildas at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. 

According to The Guardian UK, Nigerians across multiple works of life in various cities in Australia were jubilant about Nigeria’s win over their host country.

Goals from Uchenna Kanu, Osinachi Ohale and Asisat Oshoala cancelled Emily van Egmond’s opener and Alanna Kennedy’s late strike in the entertaining encounter on Thursday.

The Falcons drew their first game against Canada, and their victory over Australia sent the Nigerians to the top of group B — marginally on a superior number of goals scored by the team.

At a restaurant named “Little Lagos” in Sydney, the country’s capital, many Nigerians in the diaspora gathered alongside friends and associates to watch the game, which ended 3-2.

“Little Lagos” is owned by Abimbola Kolawole and Abiodun, her partner. The duo said the restaurant was established to give a fructifying ending to Nigerians longing for “a place” in faraway Australia.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, not less than 3 million permanent migrants have arrived in the country since 2000.

About 13,000 of those immigrants are Nigerian-born, as counted by the country’s 2021 census.

Another Nigerian, Pedus Eweama, who stays in Perth and works as a doctor, expressed his joy about the victory.

Eweama, who watched the match while working a shift in the emergency ward of Royal Perth Hospital, reacted to the Falcons’ victory with a powerful one-liner: “Proud to be a Nigerian-Australian.”

Nigeria will play the Republic of Ireland in the final group game on Monday.

Photo credit: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian UK