Nigeria and Canada senior women teams will go toe-to-toe for the second time in one year on Wednesday, in a closed-doors training match in Malaga, Spain, as part of preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The match will begin at 6.30 p.m. Spanish time (5.30 p.m. Nigerian time) at the La Quinta Football Centre, Malaga.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the NFF’s Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire, the match will draw the curtain on the Super Falcons’ camping programme in Spain.
Both teams were involved in a hard-fought FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B opener at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in July 2023, with the game ending 0-0.
Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, saved a penalty kick by veteran Christine Sinclair, and made 14 other big saves in the encounter.
According to Olajire, Coach Randy Waldrum is unlikely to make many changes from the squad that played that match.
However, defender Ashleigh Plumptre and forward Francisca Ordega, who started that match, are not in Spain.
Waldrum will most likely stick with goalkeeper Nnadozie, defenders Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin and Michelle Alozie (alongside, perhaps Chidinma Okeke), and midfielders Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe and Deborah Abiodun.
The strike-force may be entirely different with captain Rasheedat Ajibade (who missed the clash with Canada in Melbourne due to a red card bagged in the Women AFCON semi-final clash with Morocco in July 2022) coming in, alongside, perhaps Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo.
The nine-time African champions will be in France on Thursday, where they will spend a week in further training ahead of their first match of the tournament against Brazil at the Stade Bordeaux on July 25.
Nigeria’s other matches in the group phase are against Spain and Japan on July 28 and July 31 respectively, at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. (NAN).
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