Waldrum invites 32 Falcons as Oshoala, Oparanozie return, Okoronkwo missing from WAFCON camp in Morocc

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women’s Football Journalist

Determined to raise a strong team that will represent Nieria well at the of the 12^th Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) holding in Morocco from July 2^nd – 23^rd, 2022, Super Falcons Head Coach, Randy Waldrum has invited 32 players to the camp of the reigning African Champions for a two-week training camp in Rabat, Morocco ahead of the biennial women’s football competition.

Expectedly, the usual suspects have been invited by the United States-born soccer tactician especially the bulk of players he has been working with since this year for team cohesion. They include goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender and Captain Onome Ebi, midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade and Toni Payne and forwards Francisca Ordega and new kid on the block Ifeoma Onumonu of NY/NJ Gotham FC, (USA).

Waldrum has also recalled the veterans of WAFCON, Desire Oparanozie, Asisat Oshoala, Halimat Ayinde and Chinwendu Ihezuo for the two-week intensive training programme in Morocco just as attacker, Chinonyerem Macleans (GSK Gornik Leczna, Poland and defender,  Ugochi Emenayo of Ugochi Emenayo (Konak Belediyespor Izmir, Turkey handed their first invitation by the gaffer.

However, missing from the list for the Moroccan trip is American-born, Esther Okoronkwo of AS Saint Etienne, France who scored Nigeria’s lone goal in Abidjan and also set up Onumonu to get her first of the two goals against Lady Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire at MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja during the African qualifier ties early in the year. No reason was given for her omission,

According to a press statement issued in Abuja on Monday by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) the training campwill start on 18^th June in the North African kingdom, with all players already advised to arrive in Rabat on 17^th June.

The  Nine –time African champions, Nigeria will play in Group C of the 12-team tournament alongside South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, Botswana and Burundi. Nigeria’s first match of the competition, at which Africa’s four flagbearers to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will emerge, is against the Banyana at the Complexe Sportif Prince Abdellah in Rabat on 4^th July.

SUPER FALCONS FOR TRAINING CAMP IN MOROCCO:

 Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Tochukwu Oluehi (Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel); Rita Akarekor (Nasarawa Amazons); Yewande Balogun (Coppermine United, USA)

Defenders: Opeyemi Sunday (Edo Queens); Glory Ogbonna (Santa Teresa FC, Spain); Onome Ebi (En Avant Guingamp, France); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ugochi Emenayo (Konak Belediyespor Izmir, Turkey); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)

Midfielders: Peace Efih (Kiryat Gat, Israel); Amanda Uju Mbadi (Atasehir Belediyespor, Turkey); Halimatu Ayinde (Eskilstuna FC, Sweden); Charity Adule (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain); 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); Suliat Abideen (Edo Queens)

Forwards: Anam Imo (Pitea IF, Sweden); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Desire Oparanozie (Wuhan Chegu Jianghan, China); Vivian Ikechukwu (WFC Gintra, Lithuania); Chinonyerem Macleans (GSK Gornik Leczna, Poland); Chinwendu Ihezuo (Meizhou Hakka Club, China); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Tigres Femenil, Mexico); Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain)