Sports Revelation Online ..breaking authenic sports reports
By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist
Back to familiar terrain. ..Reigning African Footballer of the Year, Asisat Oshoala has been recalled after her late withdrawal from Mexico tour
Head Coach Randy Waldrum has called up team captain Onome Ebi, and forwards Asisat Oshoala and Rasheedat Ajibade to the camp of Super Falcons ahead of next month’s couple of international friendly matches in Turkey.
The nine-time African champions have a date against World Cup-bound Haiti women’s national team at the Emir Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkey on Friday, 7th April, before taking on World Cup co-hosts New Zealand at the Mardan Sports Complex also in Antalya on Tuesday, 11th April.
It would be recalled that last month, the Super Falcons were at the Four-Nation Revelation Cup in the city of Leon, Mexico where they played three matches, two of which were against World Cup-bound Costa Rica and Colombia.
Super Falcons goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie (No.16), Toochukwu Oluehi (No.1) and Yewande Balogun (No.23) pose for photograph during a training session. But 33 year-old Balogun has not been found worthy by Coach Randy Waldrum to be in goal for Nigeria in over two years of being invited.
The clashes in April are to further test the strength of the African representatives against other World Cup-bound teams, with this year’s edition being the biggest FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in history. It welcomes 32 teams – same number as featured at the men’s finals in Qatar late last year.
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Yewande Balogun (AS Saint-Etienne, France); Inyene Etim (Abia Angels)
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Abia Angels); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Glory Ogbonna (Besiktas JK, Turkey); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France)
Midfielders: Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (FC Levante Las Planas, Spain); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (AS Saint-Etienne, France)
Forwards: Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona Femenin, Spain); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint-Etienne, France); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, Kentucky, USA); Desire Oparanozie (Wuhan Chegu Jianghan, China); Gift Monday (UDG Tenerife, Spain)