***Alani, Otu leave Nigeria for Seville
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, the Super Falcons camp in Seville is now lively as the reigning African Best Player Asisat Lamina Oshoala and her United States-based teammate, Ifeoma Chukwufumnanya Onumonu have arrived Spain.
The arrival of Oshoala and Onumonu has swelled the number of players in camp to 16 as at breakfast on Wednesday.
This is even as two more players, midfielder Regina Otu and defender Jumoke Alani whose travelling visas were procured yesterday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are expected to land in Spain later today. The duo left Abuja last night alongside Super Falcons assistant coach Justin Madugu for Seville, Prompt News exclusively gathered.
While Alani was delayed in Nigeria by visa issues, Otu is a late invitee by Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum who has brought in the combative midfielder as an alternate player after he had substituted injured Halimatu Ibrahim Ayinde with Onumonu who was earlier listed as an alternate player.
It was gathered that the 16 players in camp will train twice today while full scale training will commence as soon a the 22 players arrive camp with the rest of the invitees expected to join their colleagues before Friday.
In camp are team captain Rasheedat Ajibade; goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Tochukwu Oluehi and defenders Osinachi Mavis Ohale, Chidinma Okeke, Nicole Payne and Michelle Chinwe Alozie as well as midfielders Christy Ucheibe and Toni Oyedupe Payne.
Others are Gift Monday, Deborah Abiodun, Morufat Ademola, Jennifer Onyi Echegini, Esther Ifeoma Okoronkwo, Ifeoma Onumonu and Asisat Lamina Oshoala.
Meanwhile, Prompt News reports that the delay in some players to hit camp is as a result of the policy of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to deal directly with Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) instead of football federations as they handle the accreditation process for athletes and officials going for the Olympic Games including the Nigerian contingent.
For this reason, the pre-Games accreditation of players which serves as introduction letter to procure visas for players like Chinonyerem Macleans of Locomotiv Moscow in Russia was sent to NOC instead to the player in Moscow because IOC has cut ties with Russia as a result of the Russia and Ukraine war.
It was also gathered that Macleans will pick up her Spain visa from Nigeria and head to Seville afterwards to join the camp before the weekend just as the players based in Mexico will have to obtain Spain visa in United States.
According to a reliable Sports Ministry sources the delay in getting visas for some players should not be blamed on the NFF as the processing of travelling documents for Olympic Games and Africa Games are the responsibility of the Sports Ministry and the parent body NOC. READ ALSO:
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“It is an open secret that Sports Ministry in conjunction with NOC are responsible for the Nigerian delegations to the Olympic Games and African Games.
“NFF is a standby observer in this case although the federation owns football teams but immediately the teams qualify for the Games, Sports Ministry takes over and subsequently hands teams to NOC to form Team Nigeria”, said ex-NOC top official.
