Nigeria's discipline on the pitch will be greatly tested when the Super Falcons vs Brazil encounter kicks off on Thursday in Bordeaux.
This is the result of the introduction of new guidelines for participating teams in the football tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games.
A statement from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) said the International Football Association Board (IFAB) will be trialling the ‘only the captain’ protocol during the competition.
This means only team captains will be permitted to approach the referee during the games, while players who go contrary to the guidelines will be penalised with a booking.
Discipline the watchword for Super Falcons vs Brazil & beyond
While Randy Waldrum’s side will be aiming to play with intensity against their South American counterparts, they must be careful not to breach any of the new guidelines introduced by FIFA and IFAB.
“Normal interactions between players and the referee are allowed and remain important (to increase transparency and avoid possible frustration and conflict),” the new FIFA guidelines state.
Also: “Only one player from each team – usually the captain – is allowed to approach the referee and, when doing so, they must always interact in a respectful manner,” while “the team captains are responsible for helping to direct their teammates away from the referee.”
Outside of the liberties granted to captains, any player who approaches the referee when they are not permitted to do so would attract a yellow card.
Should goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie wear the armband for the Super Falcons vs Brazil clash, as she did during last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the referee must be informed, no later than at the coin toss before kick-off, which player has been nominated to approach the referee in place of the shot-stopper.
