By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Barely two weeks to the crucial FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 African qualifiers third round fixture between Nigeria and Egypt, Flamingos Head Coach, Oloowokere Bankole is not happy with the decision of some football clubs to hold back their players for league matches ahead of the April 17 first leg match billed for Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The Flamingos who will play the return leg tie against the Egyptians in Cairo on Saturday, April 30, have resumed camping in Abuja on Sunday and will start full training on Monday at FIFA Goal Project Training Pitch at Package B of Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja.
But Coach Bankole has revealed that some football clubs in the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) want to distort his training programme by refusing to release some of the invited players for the upcoming qualifiers against Egypt.
According to him top officials of some NWFL clubs have informed him that they will not release their players for the national camp because of clubs assignments, pointing out that some of them are claiming that they have permission to use the players for women’s league matches before releasing them”.
Said he: “the feelers am getting from some NWFL clubs are not encouraging at all. I have been told by some clubs that they will release the players only after their league matches. In fact, they told me that they have obtained permission from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to use the invited players for their league matches. Some told me they will not release their players until few days to our match against Egypt”.
The Naija Ratels FC, Abuja Technical Adviser disclosed that should the clubs have their ways, it will affect his team’s preparations for the two legged matches against their Egyptian counterpart.
Meanwhile, Coach Bankole has said his team which hit Abuja camp on Sunday will resume its twice training on Monday, insisting that he will not allow the delay in the arrival of some invited players to affect their training programme.
“I am determined to surmont any obstacle to ensure that the Flamingos qualify for India 2022. I shall not leave anything to chance. I and my colleagues are working very hard with the players available to us to deliver a World Cup ticket. This is our focus”, Bankole concluded.
The coach had invited 25 players to the Abuja camp for the third round fixture against their Egyptian counterparts just the Flamingos trounced the U-17 team of the Democratic Republic of Congo 8-0 on aggregate (3-0 in Kinshasa and 5-0 in Benin City) to reach the third round of the series.
Flamingos Invited To Camp For Egypt:
Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana (Honey Badgers); Linda Jiwuaku (Confluence Queens); Jessica Chikamso (Rivers Angels); Doris Ohia (Naija Ratels)
Defenders: Blessing Sunday (Edo Queens); Comfort Folorunsho (Delta Queens); Tumininu Adeshina (Naija Ratels); Mamusoz Edafe (Rivers Angels); Olamide Oyinlola (Naija Ratels); Miracle Usani (Abia Angels); Confidence Nwoha (Nasarawa Amazons); Kemi Soremekun (Confluence Queens).
Midfielders: Blessing Emmanuel (Naija Ratels); Taiwo Afolabi (Delta Queens); Chidera Okenwa (Abia Angels); Aminat Bello (SGH Queens); Joy Igbokwe (Mees Palace)
Forwards: Mercy Itimi (Bayelsa Queens); Alvine Da-Zossu (Osun Babes); Anastasia Atume (Honey Badgers); Raheemot Adebayo (FC Robo Queens); Olaide Mosaku (Prince Kazeem Eletu Queens); Opeyemi Ajakaiye (FC Robo Queens); Yetunde Ayantosho (Osun Babes); Adaobi Okah (Edo Queens).
