Colombia 2024: Falconets train against Burundi in Dar es Salaam 

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

After a long trip which took the team to Nairobi, Kenya before landing in Tanzanian on Wednesday, the national U-20 women’s football team, Falconets will today start training at Azam Stadium Complex ahead of the crunchy FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers first leg double-header against Burundi scheduled for Sunday, January 14, 2024 in Dar es Salaam.

The Nigerian delegation made up of 19 players,  the coaching crew led by Christopher Musa Danjuma and handful of backroom staff and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials arrived Dar es Salaam a day after leaving Nigeria and have now settled down for business.

Prompt News exclusively gathered that the team  will start training at Azam Stadium Complex, the match venue today and will also train Friday evening and Saturday morning before the tough encounter with Burundi on Sunday. The venue is almost becoming a home turf for Nigerian women as Danjuma’s team had last year played against Tanzania U-20 in the second round of the qualifiers in the same venue.

This is even as Nigeria’s U-20 women’s football team had three years ago played with their Tanzanian counterparts in the FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers during Rasheedat Ajibade led Falconets set of 2018.

Already, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has picked South African official Nonjabulo Nonhle Ndlela as referee just as her compatriots Maneo Evodia Tau and Nandipha Menze will be in the roles of assistant referee 1 and assistant referee 2 respectively, while Nteboheleng Theresia Setoko from Lesotho will serve as fourth official.

Also, Sunday’s encounter at the Azam Stadium Complex will see Tanzanian, Somoe Robert Ng’itu play the role of commissioner, while Fransiska Katjaimo from Namibia will be referee assessor.

The return leg match will take place at the Moshood Abiola National  Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, January, 20, 2024. The winner over the two legs will qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final in Colombia later in the year.

FALCONETS TO TACKLE BURUNDI:

Goalkeepers: Anderline Mgbechi; Shukura Bakare; Faith Omilana.

Defenders: Oluchi Ohaegbulem; Jumoke Alani; Rebecca Adegbemile; Shukurat Oladipo; Oluwabunmi Oladeji.

Midfielders: Adoo Yina; Taiwo Afolabi; Olushola Shobowale; Aminat Folorunsho; Chioma Olise.

Forwards: Opeyemi Ajakaye; Chiamaka Okwuchukwu; Chisom Chima; Janet Akekoromowei; Chiamaka Osuigwe; Oluwayemisi Samuel.