By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Five days to the crucial Paris Olympics Women’s Football Tournament CAF qualifiers final round double-header between Nigeria and South Africa, most of the Super Falcons top stars will report to Abuja camp late due to club engagements, Prompt News has exclusively gathered.
Checks have revealed that the bulk of Super Falcons first team members especially those plying their trade in the United States of America (USA)National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will report to the team’s Abuja camp late due to tight club engagements.
For example five out of six US-based players invited by Nigeria’s head coach Randy Waldrum for the Olympics qualifiers double-header have club commitments this weekend and time difference has made it impossible for them to arrive early in Abuja camp ahead first leg tie billed for Friday, April 5, 2024 at Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
This is even as the reigning African Best Player of the Year (Women) Asisat Oshoala’s Bay FC, the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area in the NWSL, will host the club’s first home match on Sunday, March 31, by 3:00am (11:00am in Nigeria) at PayPal Park in San Jose, California against her compatriot Mitchelle Alozie struggling Houston Dash.
The forward who has made an impressive start in the USA league scoring on her debut against Angels FC and assisting in the 2-1 away loss to Washington Spirit last week Sunday will feature in Bay FC’s sold out inaugural home game and will not be in Abuja with defender Alozie till Monday evening due to long flight hours.
Two other Falcons who have club commitments tomorrow are defender Nicole Payne whose Portland Thorns FC will host attacker Uchenna Kanu’s Racing Louisville by 00:30 am while forward Ifeoma Onumonu and her Utah Royals will travel to Washington to play Washington Spirit on Sunday by 18:00 early Monday morning in Nigeria.
Like Oshoala and Alozie the trio of Nicole Payne, Kanu and Onumonu will not be in Abuja on Sunday as the earliest they could be in camp will be from Monday just as the only none league player, Deborah Abiodun of University of Pittsburgh Panthers team may be the only early arrival from the USA contingent.
Also, the four invited players who are playing club football in Spain may not arrive camp until Monday too. They are midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade of Atletico Madrid FC whose club will tackle Vallencia in the league and Toni Payne of Sevilla FC which will take on Real Sociedad on Saturday while forwards Omorinsola Babajide and Gift Monday of Tenerife Egatesa will on Sunday trade tackles Sporting Huelva.
In the same vain, two invitees from the Mexican women’s league defender Osinachi Ohale and Chinwendu Ihezuo of Pachucha fc will play for their club against Atlético San Luis on Saturday and will arrive Abuja latest on Monday due to travel distance.
Sweden-based Halimat Ayinde’s Rosengard will play away against Piteaà on Saturday; Christy Ucheibe’s SL Benfica vs Sporting CP will play in the Portuguese league on Sunday and Jennifer Echegini of Juventus Ladies team will engage Fiorentina Ladies on Saturday while returning defender, Chidinma Okeke’s Mynavi Sendai Ladies will meet Tokyo Ver FC on Saturday and will not be in Abuja on Sunday.
Only the three goalkeepers will report to camp early as they are free from club duties this weekend. They are Chiamaka Nnadozie who was on duty on Friday and has no other match in France till April 12 vs Reims.
Reserve goalie Tochukwu Oluehi of Shualat Alsharqia FC (Eastern Flames) who was in goalposts versus Rita Chikwelu’s Al Shabab 2-4 lost last week has no club commitment like the home-based Linda Jiwuaku too.
Waldrum had announced a strong Super falcons squad for the game against Banyana Banyana double-header but late arrival of the players may disrupt the preparation plans. READ ALSO:
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The winner of the two-legged encounter will qualify for the Paris Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament.
List Of 22 Invited Players:
Goalkeepers (3): – Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France)
Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, S/Arabia)
Linda Jiwuaku (Bayelsa Queens NGR).
Defenders (6):
-Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha, Mexico)
-Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies, S/Arabia)
-Shukurat Oladipo (FC Robo Queens, NGR)
-Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA)
-Nicole Payne (Portland Thorns FC, USA)
-Chidinma Okeke (Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan)
Midfielders (6):
-Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
-Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden)
-Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
-Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy)
-Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain)
-Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain).
Forwards (7): -Omorinsola Babajide (Tenerife, Spain )
-Esther Okoronkwo (Changchun FC, China)
– Ifeoma Onumonu (SLC Utah, USA)
-Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA)
-Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA)
-Gift Monday (Tenerife, Spain)
-Chiwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha, Mexico).
