Tokyo 2020: Super Falcons open camp for Cote d’Ivoire, Oshoala tops list of invitees

Harry Awurumibe, Abuja

To ensure that Nigeria’s Super Falcons qualify for       Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women’s football tournament, the team’s Head Coach, Thomas Dennerby has invited no fewer than 37 players ahead of the third round of the African qualifying ties between Nigeria and the senior women national team of Cote d’Ivoire which comes up in a fortnight.

According to the list released in Abuja today by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a total of 30 home-based professionals will arrive at the Super Falcons’ hotel camp in Abuja this Sunday to kick-start preparations for the clash with the Cote d’Ivoire team.

Expectedly, Dennerby also invited seven overseas-based professionals who will join the 30 home-based players in Abuja before the trip to Abidjan for the first leg.

Already, world football –governing body, FIFA has directed that both legs of the qualifying fixture must be concluded between September 30 and October 8, 2019.

However, the NFF has already picked Sunday, October 6 for the return leg match, slated for the Agege Stadium, Lagos. The venue hosted the return leg of Nigeria/Algeria in the earlier round, with the Falcons winning by a lone goal to push out the Algerians on a 3-0 aggregate.

Cote d’Ivoire also emerged 3-0 aggregate winners, eliminating Mali from the series to set up a clash with nine –time African champions Nigeria.

Asisat Oshoala, scorer of the lone goal against Algeria in Lagos on September 3, heads the list of the overseas-based professionals that also includes defenders Osinachi Ohale and Chidinma Okeke, midfielders Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene and Chinaza Uchendu, and forwards Francisca Ordega and Rasheedat Ajibade.

Midfielder Osarenoma Igbinovia leads the list of 30 home-based professionals.

All invited home-based players are expected to arrive at the Chida Hotel, Abuja on Sunday, September 15, 2019.

LIST OF HOME-BASED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Christy Ohiaeriaku (Delta Queens); Tochukwu Oluehi (Rivers Angels); Onyinyechukwu Okeke (Bayelsa Queens); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Rivers Angels)

Defenders: Glory Ogbonna (Ibom Angels); Opeyemi Sunday (Sunshine Queens); Abidemi Ibe (Bayelsa Queens); Ugochi Emenayo (Nasarawa Amazons); Margaret Etim (Rivers Angels); Maryam Ibrahim (Nasarawa Amazons); Mary Ologbosere (Rivers Angels); Blessing Edoho (Ibom Angels); Tosin Dimeyin (Sunshine Queens)

Midfielders: Osarenoma Igbinovia (Bayelsa Queens); Ihuoma Onyebuchi (Sunshine Queens); Folashade Ijamilusi (FC Robo); Suliat Abideen (Sunshine Queens); Josephine Mathias (Rivers Angels); Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons); Regina Otu (Edo Queens); Cecilia Nku (Rivers Angels)

Forwards: Adejoke Ejalonibu (Nasarawa Amazons); Rafiat Sule (Rivers Angels); Tessy Biahwo (Bayelsa Queens); Alice Ogebe (Rivers Angels); Aloko Abdulkareem (Nasarawa Amazons); Gift Monday (FC Robo); Lola Philips (Nasarawa Amazons); Titilayo Aweda (Confluence Queens); Cynthia Aku (Rivers Angels)

OVERSEAS-BASED PROFESSIONALS:

Rasheedat Ajibade (Avaldsnes, Norway); Osinachi Ohale (CD Tacon, Spain); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna DFF, Sweden); Francisca Ordega (Shanghai Zyhongyuan, China); Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain); Chinaza Uchendu (SC Braga, Portugal); Chidinma Okeke (Madrid CFF, Spain)