By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The last minute withdrawal of Super Falcons experienced midfielder, Halimatu Ibrahim Ayinde from Nigeria’s squad to the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s football tournament due to injury has sparked off panic in the team’s camp which opened Thursday in Sevilla, Spain.
Ayinde’s withdrawal from the Nigerian team to the Paris Olympics less than 24 hours after Super Falcons’ head coach Randy Waldrum released the roster for Paris Olympics was made public by the management of FC Rosengard, a club in Sweden Damallsvenskan to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
They confirmed she has a thorn meniscus and will undergo surgery in Malmò today (Thursday). The club also revealed that Ayinde will unfortunately be out of action for at least eight weeks, a period that has ruled her out of the Paris Olympics.
Her absence has now caused panic in Nigeria’s camp as Waldrum’s side which left Nigeria today for a two-week training camp in Spain will now be left with a few number of midfielders in the team as the coach miscalculated by loading the squad with defenders and attackers.
A closer look at Waldrum’s 18-player roster and four alternate players showed that the coach do not have a like for like replacement for Ayinde because none of the four alternate players he selected is a midfielder.
The four are defender Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); forward Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals, USA); forward Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain); and goalie Morufa Ademola (Rivers Angels).
Sadly, the coach had listed two goalkeepers, five defenders and five midfielders in the final 18-player roster including Ayinde but her withdrawal after the Nigeria squad has been submitted to the Olympic organisers mean that Waldrum will be left with the choice of increasing the number of attackers if he decides to pick Ifeoma Onumonu or Gift Monday.
Already, he picked six attackers in Asisat Oshoala, Uchenna Kanu, Chinwendu Ihezuo, Esther Okoronkwo, Rasheedat Ajibade and Chinonyerem Macleans as well as five defenders namely Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin, Michelle Alozie, Chidinma Okeke and Nicole Payne alongside two goalkeepers in Chiamaka Nnadozie and Tochukwu Oluehi.
However, it is not likely that the coach will choose home-duo of goalkeeper Morufat Ademola or defender Jumoke Alani over oversea-based Monday and Onumonu.
This leaves Waldrum with only four midfielders, Christy Ucheibe, Jennifer Ecehegini, Deborah Abiodun and Toni Payne just as should any major injuries happen to one or two midfielders in the weeks head, Nigeria will be in perils.
This is why the withdrawal of Ayinde due to injury has sparked panic in the Super Falcons camp as Waldrum who overlooked experienced midfielders like Rita Chikwelu of Al-Shabab FC
and Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene of FC Levante Las Planas or rising midfielder of CSST Temara in Morocco will figure out how he will navigate the crunch group encounters against strong opponents Brazil, Japan and Spain. READ ALSO:
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Paris 2024 Olympics-bound Super Falcons:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia).
Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Portland Thorns FC, USA); Chidinma Okeke (Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan)
Midfielders: Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA); *Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden)*; Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain)
Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (Changchun FC, China); Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA); Chiwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Chinonyerem Macleans (Locomotiv Moscow, Russia)
Alternate Players: Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals, USA); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain); Morufa Ademola (Rivers Angels).
