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Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s foremost Women’s Football journalist, Lagos.
Super Falcons youthful defender, Glory Akumbu O gbonna gets the better of a Cote d Ivoire player during the first leg clash in Abidjan. She helped Nigeria to earn an away point.
There is no gainsayiny the fact that Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the final whistle of the crucial return leg match between Nigeria and Cote d Ivoire’s senior women’s football teams to know if the Super Falcons will qualify for the next round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics African qualifier match billed for Agege stadium in Lagos tomorrow.
Both countries played out a gruelling barren draw in the first leg of the third round match decided at Stade Municipal du Trechevile, Abidjan last week Thursday.
The first leg result has cast doubts in the minds of many Nigerians who fear that the Super Falcons may struggle yet again in the second leg showdown at Agege stadium tomorrow.
The apprehension of Nigerians are based on the facts that Nigeria has missed out on two successive women’s football tournament of the Olympics in 2012 and 2016 in London and Rio respectively.
The Nigerian team was eliminated by Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea on the way to the Olympic Games on both occasions just as Nigeria’s present Coach, Christopher Musa Danjuma was incharge of the Falcons in the Rio 2016 Olympics African qualifiers which the country failed to qualify.
But Nigeria had since then won two African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016 and 2018 respectively and also qualified for every FIFA Women’s World Cup final including the last edition in France.
Also, Super Falcons players are plying their trades in the best European and Asian women’s football leagues with skipper Asisat Oshoala featuring for FC Barcelona women’s team in Spain.
Yet, more than a dozen of Falcons are playing in the top leaque in Sweden, Norway, France, Portugal, China and United States of America (USA).
Expectedly, eight of the foreign-based professionals have been invited with six starting the first leg match in Abidjan last week.
They are Osinachi Ohale, Chidinma Okeke, Ngozi Okobi, Rashidat Ajibade, Chinaza Uchendu and Oshoala.
The Nigerian team is loaded to the hilt and the coach is spoilt for choices as three more players have been invited to beef up the team ahead of tomorrow’s make mar clash.
The trio are Ngozie Ebere, Folashade Ijamilusi and goalkeeper, Rita Akarakor even as Ebere is a sure start for tomorrow.
It will therefore be a big surprise for Coach Danjuma who faltered the last time if he failed the second time tomorrow.
All eyes are now on the coach who recently led the Nigeria U-20 girls to win Gold medal recently at the women’s football event of All Africa Games in Morocco.
Nigeria squad to face the Ivoirens
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie; Tochukwu Oluehi
Rita Akarakor
Defenders: Ugochi Emenayo; Glory Ogbonna; Osinachi Ohale; Chidinma Okeke; Maryam Ibrahim; Ngozi Ebere
Midfielders: Amarachi Okoronkwo; Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene; Regina Otu; Cecilia Nku; Chinaza Uchendu, Folashade Ijamilusi
Forwards: Asisat Oshoala; Francisca Ordega; Gift Monday; Rafiat Sule; Rasheedat Ajibade
The Nigeria Football Federation has already scheduled the return leg of the fixture for the Agege Stadium, Lagos on Monday, 7th October 2019.