By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Nigerian delegation to the just concluded Four-Nation invitational tournament tagged Summer Series which took place in Houston and Austin in Texas, United States, have arrived the country.
The 10 home-based Super Falcons players, three assistant coaches, Ann Chiejine, Wemimo Mathew and Auwal Makwalla (Goalkeepers Trainer) as well as backroom staff arrived Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Friday.
Others in the entourage are two Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board Members and Chairperson, NFF Women’s Football Committee, Hon. Huliyat Ayo Omidiran.
Earlier, foreign-based Falcons players especially those who are resident in U.S left the team’s Fairmont Hotel in Austin a day after Nigeria lost 2-0 to USWNT in the Summer Series finale on Wednesday night which was 2 am in Nigeria.
Also, the Europe-based players left Texas for Amsterdam, Holland on Thursday with the rest of the Nigerian delegation, from where they connected their flights back to Spain and Belarus.
Those who headed to Spain were Asisat Oshoala, Rita Chikwelu, Chidinma Okeke, Toni Payne, Charity Adule, Rasheedat Ajibade and Francisca Ordega while Onome Ebi returned to Belarus.
Salome Onyinyechi Zogg and Roosa Ariyo have also returned to Switzerland and Finland respectively.
Super Falcons Head Coach, Randy Waldrum who did not have the full compliment of the experienced players due to injuries and logistics challenges was forced to scavenge for willing foreign-based players with Nigerian origin to make up for the shortfall.
Among the players who came on rescue mission but who later impressed are Michelle Alozie, Ijeoma Okoronkwo, Ifeoma Onumonu, Nicola Payne and Yewande Balogun.
Meanwhile, Waldrum and his two other American assistants coaches returned to their families in U.S as they did not return to Nigeria with the rest of the team members.
