By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in -Chief, Abuja
Super Falcons lineup in a recent home match in Lagos
Three days to the crucial African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) Morocco 2022 first leg qualifier match between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and La Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire slated for Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Friday, February 18, 2022, no fewer than 11 foreign-based players have arrived the Abuja camp.
The new arrivals in camp are first choice and reserve goalkeepers, Chiamaka Nnadozie of Paris FC, France and Tochukwu Oluehi of Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel and defenders Onome Ebi of Minsk FC, Belarus and Michelle Alozie of Houston Dash, USA.
Others are midfielders Peace Efih, Kiryat Gat, Israel; Yetunde Aluko (WFC Ramat Hasharon, Israel; Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene who plays for Eskilstuna FC, Sweden and Esther Okoronkwo of AS Saint Etienne, France.
Safe-hands….Super Falcons three goalkeepers pose after training in Abuja L-R: Chiamaka Nnadozie (No.16); Toochukwu Oluehi (No.1) and Yewande Balogun (No.23)
Unattached United States-based goalkeeper Yewande Balogun; defender Regina Otu and midfielder Nicole Payne of West Virginia University, USA were the early birds to camp even as some of the big names are yet to show up in the camp as at the time of this report.
They include team captain, Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona-Spain); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow- Russia); Desire Oparanozie (Dijon, France); Rita Chikwelu-(Madrid CFF, Spain); Glory Ogbonna (Santa Teresa FC, Spain) and Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain).
Sportsrevelation exclusively reported last Thursday that only three out of 23 invited foreign-based players namely; third choice goalkeeper, Yewande Balogun (Unattached-USA) and defenders Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA) and Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus) were in camp alongside 12 home-based players.
But the bulk of these players who were delayed due to club duties will now be released by their foreign clubs because the 2022 FIFA Women’s Football Window for February started this Monday, February 14 to end February 23. This has freed the foreign players to be released immediately to their national teams.
Super Falcons Head Coach Randy Waldrum has now seen his team camp bubbling as more players have arrived and others expected to arrive the Abuja camp on Monday evening while the last batch will join Tuesday morning before the first training of the day as any player who fails to arrive by Wednesday will miss the home match.
After the first leg in Abuja this Friday both teams will square up for the return leg five days later at the Stade Robert Champroux in Abidjan on Wednesday, February 23. The winner over two legs will qualify for AWCON Morocco 2022..
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