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Hold It…Super Falcons defender Michelle Alozie (No.22) and her teammate try to block Team USA attacker from scoring against Nigeria during the Summer Series in Texas last year.
Ahead of the crucial two-legged Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) ‘Morocco 2022’ qualifier matches between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and La Elephants of Cote d Ivoire billed for February, Head Coach Randy Waldrum has invited a total of 35 players to the Abuja camp of the team including the usual suspects, Captain Asisat Lamina Oshoala of FC Barcelona Feminine; goalkeeper Yewande Balogun who plays for amateur team in United States of America (USA) and two veteran defenders Osinachi Marvis Ohale of Deportivo Alaves, Spain and Onome Ebi of Minsk FC, Belarus.
Super Falcons goalkeepers. .(L-R) Chiamaka Nnadozie, Toochukwu Oluehi and Yewande Balogun.
The American-born Super Falcons gaffer however kept faith with a handful of Nigeria’s domestic women’s football leaque players including Joy Duru (Nasarawa Amazons); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Juliet Bassey (Bayelsa Queens); Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels); Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Glory Ogbonna (Edo Queens)
To reach this stage, nine-time African champions Nigeria edged the Black Queens of Ghana 2-1 on aggregate in October 2021, while the La Elephants blew away their counterparts from the Niger Republic 20-0 on aggregate.
Head Coach Randy Waldrum
Waldrum and his team are expected to grind out a comfortable result at home when the Elephants come marching to avoid being trampled upon in the return leg in Abidjan as the Ivoirens are hard nut to crack at home. All invited players are expected to arrive Abuja on Tuesday, February 1 for a weeks close camping to enable the coach pick 22 that will prosecute the two matches. The winner over two legs will qualify for Morocco 2022 during the Summer.
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Tochukwu Oluehi (Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel); Christy Ohiaeriaku (Sunshine Queens); Yewande Balogun (USA)
Defenders: Rofiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Glory Ogbonna (Santa Teresa FC, Spain); Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ayomide Ojo (Edo Queens); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Joy Duru (Nasarawa Amazons); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)
Midfielders: Peace Efih (Kiryat Gat, Israel); Yetunde Aluko (WFC Ramat Hasharon, Israel); Amanda Mbadinuju (Bayelsa Queens); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna FC, Sweden); Grace Igboamalu (Bayelsa Queens); Toni Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels)
Forwards: Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint Etienne, France); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Desire Oparanozie (Dijon FC, France); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Juliet Bassey (Bayelsa Queens); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Uchenne Kanu (Tigres Femenil, Mexico); Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain).