Oak Mountain High School Alumnae Shine in Olympic Women's Soccer Debut
@ReadWhatRickWrote 
Two former Oak Mountain High School students marked their Olympic debuts with Nigeria's women's soccer team on Thursday.
In a closely contested Group C opener at Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France, Brazil edged out the Super Falcons with a 1-0 victory on the second day of the Paris Olympics.
Toni Payne, a standout midfielder, played for 67 minutes, taking one of Nigeria's 15 shots and drawing a foul. Her sister, Nicole Payne, entered the match as a defender in the 74th minute.
The game's lone goal came in the 37th minute when Brazil's Gabi Nunes, assisted by Marta, scored off the crossbar, beating Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Elsewhere in Group C, Spain triumphed over Japan with a 2-1 victory.
Nigeria's next match is against Spain at noon CDT on Sunday. This marks the Super Falcons' first Olympic appearance since 2008.
Toni Payne, the 2012 Gatorade Alabama Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, led Oak Mountain to an AHSAA Class 6A championship before playing at Duke.
Nicole Payne excelled in soccer and track at Oak Mountain. She was the 2019 Gatorade Alabama Girls’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year, winning the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter races at the AHSAA Class 7A outdoor championships and setting state records in the 200 and 400 meters. She continued her soccer career at West Virginia and Southern Cal.
The Olympics will pause on Friday for the opening ceremonies in Paris, with the parade of nations starting at 12:30 p.m. CDT. NBC will broadcast the event.
