DURHAM – Former Duke women’s soccer standout Toni Payne will make her Olympic debut this summer as she was officially named to the 18-player Nigeria Women’s National Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Payne, a 2017 Duke graduate, helped guide Nigeria to its first trip to the Olympics since 2008, qualifying through four rounds of home-and-away matches as part of the 2024 CAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament. In the fourth and final round of the competition, Nigeria defeated South Africa across two matches to secure one of two spots for African countries in the tournament.
Nigeria will be part of Group C with Spain, Japan and Brazil. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage in addition to the two best third-place teams. The Super Falcons open group play against Brazil on July 25 at 1 p.m. (EST), then take on Spain on July 28 at 1 p.m. (EST), before wrapping up the group stage against Japan on July 31; kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (EST). The quarterfinal round will begin on Aug. 3 followed by the two semifinal matches on Aug. 6. The bronze medal match is slated for Aug. 9 and the tournament concludes on Aug. 10 with the gold medal match.
Nigeria is making its fourth overall Olympic appearance. The Super Falcons are the most successful African nation having won 11 AFCON titles, most recently in 2018, defeating South Africa in the final. Nigeria remains the only African women’s national team that has reached the quarterfinals in both the World Cup and the Olympics.
Payne joins her former Duke teammate, Quinn, in Paris as they will be representing Canada. Both Payne and Quinn helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2015 NCAA College Cup.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women’s soccer, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching “https://goduke.com/news/2024/7/5/DukeWSOC”.
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Duke University…