England vs Nigeria, Women’s World Cup 2023: When is it and how to watch on TV
England have received a major boost after key midfielder Keira Walsh was declared fit for the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup.
The Barcelona star is set to line up against Nigeria in the last 16 after recovering from a knee injury that looked like it might rule her out of the entire tournament.
Walsh jarred her knee in the 1-0 win over Denmark but Telegraph Sport understands that manager Sarina Wiegman has pencilled her name into the starting XI for Nigeria after she took part in two full training sessions over the weekend.
A final decision will be made on Monday morning.
England are now the highest-ranked side in their half of the draw, following Germany’s surprise exit on Thursday, and would play Colombia or Jamaica in the quarter-finals. A potential semi-final would be against Australia, Denmark, France or Morocco.
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. View the full fixtures and results here.
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 at the same venue. 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.
How did they do in the Group Stages?
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, and have become the tournament’s surprise package.
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 head coach Sarina Wiegman praised Nigeria’s performances so far in the tournament and said England would not be complacent.
“Nigeria have done really well at this tournament,” she said. “They were in a really hard group. They are a very athletic team and quick in transitional play. We are aware of their strengths but we have to try and exploit their weaknesses.
“What we have seen in this tournament is nothing is easy. Absolutely not [will we be complacent.] There haven’t been any easy games for us so far and we do not expect one against Nigeria. We have to be at our best.
“Everyone who plays us wants to beat us. That’s nothing new. Nobody can be complacent because that’s inappropriate.”
Wiegman also seems to be enjoying the Lionesses’ new-found adaptability after a system shake-up sparked a 6-1 victory over China in the final group match.
Wiegman swapped England’s usual 4-3-3 for a 3-5-2 formation, and she was rewarded with goals from five different players.
“We have two options now,” Wiegman said with a smile. “The way we have played [before this tournament] and what we did against China, so we will take that into consideration.
What are the odds?
England to win 1/4
Nigeria to win 10/1
Draw 9/2
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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)
