Tokyo 2020: Fireworks as Japan, Canada kick start football event Wednesday

Egypt, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire for men and surprise package, Zambia for women, will represent the continent in Tokyo just as the four teams will hope to play up to the Gold medal final billed for August 6, 2021 at Tokyo’s iconic new Olympic Stadium, which will also be the setting for the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies.

In all, 28 teams made up of 16 men’s and 12 women’s teams  drawn into seven groups will start their medals chase on Wednesday with host, Japan ready to kick off naming women’s event against Canada, with Great Britain and Chile making up the section.

China PR, Brazil, Zambia and Netherlands comprise the other pool just as Sweden, USA, Australia and New Zealand comprise a must-see women’s game.

Indeed, the Group G in the women’s tournament looks immeasurably mouth-watering. Not only does it feature the two co-hosts of the next FIFA Women’s World Cup; Australia and New Zealand, but it also gives USA the chance for Olympic revenge over a Sweden side that eliminated them from Rio 2016 on penalties.

In the men’s category, with Nigeria, one-time Gold medal winner not in Tokyo, Brazil-Germany and Spain-Argentina are among the standout men’s clashes.

It will take a miracle for an African team to win Gold medal in Tokyo 2020 if the pedigree of Egypt, South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire are anything to rely upon.

Africa’s chances of getting into medals bracket in the women’s football event is zero as Zambia’s Olympics women’s football team is not in the class of their Group F opponents: China PR, Brazil and  Netherlands. Zambia will not make it out of the group.

Below are the groups for men’s and women’s Tokyo  Olympic Football Tournament:

(Men)

Group A: Japan, South Africa, Mexico, France

Group B: New Zealand, Korea Republic, Honduras, Romania

Group C: Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Australia

Group D: Brazil, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia

(Women’s)

Group E: Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Chile

Group F: China PR, Brazil, Zambia, Netherlands

Group G: Sweden, USA, Australia, New Zealand.