Two Oak Mountain High School alumni, Toni and Nicole Payne, made their Olympic debuts in women’s soccer with Nigeria on Thursday. The Super Falcons were defeated 1-0 by Brazil in a Group C opener at the Paris Olympics. Toni Payne started in midfield, while her sister Nicole subbed in as a defender during the match. Gabi Nunes scored the only goal with an assist from Marta in the 37th minute.
In another Group C match, Spain defeated Japan 2-1. Nigeria will face Spain at noon CDT on Sunday. The Super Falcons are competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Both sisters were standout athletes at Oak Mountain High School, with Toni being the 2012 Gatorade Alabama Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year and Nicole holding the title of 2019 Gatorade Alabama Girls’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
The Olympic competition will take a break on Friday for the opening ceremonies in Paris. The parade of nations will begin at 12:30 p.m. CDT and will be televised by NBC. Fans can follow Alabama Media Group sports reporter Mark Inabinett on Twitter at @AMarkG1 for updates on the Olympics.
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