Nigeria beats Japan 5-4 six hours after arriving in Brazil

The Nigerian men’s soccer team didn’t show any fatigue from a last-minute trip that brought the players to Brazil just hours before their Rio Olympics opener, beating Japan 5-4 Thursday night.

A mix-up at the airport forced Nigeria to make a late flight from Atlanta to Brazil. The team arrived in the jungle city of Manaus about six hours before overcoming jet leg and the heat and humidity in the Amazon city to win a thrilling game.

Shame for the Spin doctoring or poor excuses. They weren't fatigued, weren't Jet lagged because they are inhuman, they are machines, why not cut us the crap excuses and call it as it is that the J-team isn't just good at all and has been hyped by the J-media that has given the public the false impression the team is a medal contender when it isn't. I don't want to just think about the hiding that Japan would have received from a Nigeria team that was well prepared and rested.

Good on Delta for seeing this through. The article doesn't mention that the airline paid for their hotel while they sorted through the problem.

@drlucifer. couldn't agree more. this team is hyped by the over-zealous Japanese media who can't seem to have any perspective. Japan just isn't that good at soccer. that's just the way it is.

overcoming jet leg

Atlanta and Manaus are in the same time zone. No jet lag.

So far today I have heard the "Nigeria's players are bigger" excuse twice, the "Japan's team was tired from travelling" once (the guy didn't know what Nigeria's team had gone through just prior to the match!), and others who were excited for soccer took the typical bandwagon fan approach and said nothing.

It's a shame Japan lost their first game and looks like they will not make it out of the group, but I have to see given the setbacks Nigeria suffered going into this I was rooting for them all the way, and they did a fantastic job coming out of the gate. They are the true samurai spirit -- showing that they could overcome a supposedly better team, after all the confusion and threat of not being able to make it on time, and have the heart and mind to win. Good job, Nigeria.

to win a thrilling game.

About which we can find no information here at all.

Moon raker: "About which we can find no information here at all."

Like I said, the typical bandwagon and media approach to things. Trust me, if Japan doesn't suddenly win and gain a chance at going to the next round, it'll be like soccer never existed to begin with.

Moderator: The only bandwagon here is yours. You are going to have to stop your Japan-bashing or you'll have some time off from posting.

Read elsewhere that Nigerian players initially refused to leave Atlanta as the plane they were supposed to board was too small, hence the latish arrival. Their call, so no sympathy from me.

Olympics football tournaments have always been very open, anything can happen. Nigeria have won gold before, don't think they were the underdogs in this one.

goldorak: "Read elsewhere that Nigerian players initially refused to leave Atlanta as the plane they were supposed to board was too small, hence the latish arrival. Their call, so no sympathy from me."

Curious where you read this, goldorak. The reports are that the airline would not fly them out because they had not been paid (the wire service hadn't sent out the payment by Tuesday because of conversion problems or something like that), and so they were stuck in Atlanta.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/03/nigeria-olympic-football-team-stuck-atlanta-unpaid-flight-bill

So, now that it's clear you were wrong, maybe they can get that sympathy (or better yet, respect) you denied them when accusing them of being high and mighty?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36963812

Here it is smith.

I have heard the "Nigeria's players are bigger" excuse twice

So Leo Messi, Diego Maradona, Gerd Muller etc can't be or can't have been any good then, if that is a valid excuse.

I'm not surprised there are no details of the match in the article, I doubt anyone could be bothered to watch the bleakness of Olympic football, somehow even far worse than pointless friendlies

egg on their face as they were being quite smug about Nigerian organisation on TV last night

Goldorak: thank you, but that was AFTER being stranded originally, and otherwise jerked around. Now, are they to blame for waiting until the last minute? Sounds like it, but why would you not be concerned about the size of a plane if it meant improper medical care (article talks about it later) becomes an issue? In any case, I see now that they are a little more to blame for their own mess, so less sympathy, yes. Thanks. Still, they overcame it all and played quite well.

Nigeria beats Nippon, a short nice story.

No worries smith. I have absolutely nothing against Nigeria, still remember the late 90s team with kanu and jay jay okocha, brilliant football.

For whatever reason have never been much into Olympics football but will try to catch some games. My teams arent playing so i sort of hope japan do well (although from what I've read on here J media seems to have a massive chip. Still give J players the benefit of the doubt though).

The defence of the J-olympic soccer team was as porous as the paper mesh used to scoop goldfish at festivals A real waste of tax payers money, they shouldn't be conceding 5 goals against an ill prepared and tired team.

It's only the Olympics. No biggie.

It's only the Olympics. No biggie.

But it is a big deal. Soccer is super popular in Japan. Kids dream of being soccer stars. Japanese want to see wins on the W column. Not L''s. Raise the bar.

TamaramaAUG. 05, 2016 - 11:54PM JST It's only the Olympics. No biggie.

It is a biggie and a feel-good when they invite an unmotivated Ghana and hit 4 pass them

Wish I could get a free jet when I can't get the flight I want at the last minute.

Plain and simple: J-team gave everything they had but it wasn't enough. But they tried their best. Nigerians were the hungrier team. The winning team clearly was the most effective team on the day.

The only teams that play this sport game without cheating of bending the rules, Are Japan and Iceland. These two team are the only team that soccer should promote not for their brilliants or skills but for how they play the game has a team and carry themselves has team players. I totally get ill when I see a grown man (Never a women player) throw themselves onto the pitch rolling around in agony when a opposition walks pass or looks at him to gain a advantage . I seen players so wrapped up in their own effect in helping to score a goal push and hit team members out of their way only to pose to the fans. It is a totally discussing form of opera with a ball pretending to be a sport.