Desire Oparanozie will not feature at this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next month.
Oparanozie’s exclusion from the squad was confirmed on the Nigeria Football Federation’s Twitter handle.
However, no reason has been given for her exclusion from the squad.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Chinese Women’s Super League side Wuhan Jianghan University, will now be replaced by Sweden-based Anam Imo.
Also, Chiwendu Ihezuo will not be in Morocco and has been replaced by experienced midfielder Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene.
Oparanozie has been part of the Falcons squads of the African Women’s Championship of 2010 and 2014, 2016 and 2018, winning all four tournaments.
The Falcons are in Group C at this year’s WAFCON alongside South Africa, Botswana and Burundi.
They will open their campaign against South Africa on July 4 in Rabat.
Meanwhile, the 2022 WAFCON also doubles as qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
11 Comments
Great ladies. Both of them have done great for Nigeria. And football loving Nigerian will never forget them for their commitment and trophies they won for the nation.
I know we have many upcoming talents that can take over but I think Nigerians deserve to know the reason for their exclusion. Is it due to age or injury?
Love you girls.
CSN What about my PLUMPTRE?!!
Is SHE IN or OUT??
It is no longer news that the NFF reported the unavailability of evergreen strike Desire Oparanozie for the upcoming Afcon.
It will be helpful for the sake of transparency to know the full circumstances behind Oparanozie’s absence or exclusion.
She has served Nigeria admirably and with distinction over the years. It will be a shame if the 28 year old emphatic center forward leaves the team in an atmosphere of bad blood.
That said, her absence from this tournament will naturally create room for the likes of Onumonu, Kanu, Imo to shine if given the green light. The likes of Ebi, Ordega, Ohale and Chikwelu and even Oparanozie are long-standing members of the team – they clearly cannot go on forever.
Mercifully, there are many bright young and ratheripe prospects strewn throughout the globe who can take the batton from the senior players in time for next year’s World Cup.
The current Under-20 and Under-17 women’s teams – who recently ravaged the African landscape with an inferno of vehement victories – will provide a conveyor belt of talents while diaspora provides several Ashleigh Plumptres and Michelle Alozies waiting to be plucked of the dual nationality tree.
For now, without being arrogant, Nigeria look odds on favourites to lift the Afcon trophy. The manner in which they brushed noisy neighbours Ghana and a rugged Ivory Coast aside in qualifiers reinforces Nigeria’s tournament winning credentials.
American Tactician Randy Waldrum has crafted a pragmatic outfit that is gritty and direct in the pursuit of their on-field objectives.
The American gaffer is shrewd. He deploys 5-2-1-2 formation against much stronger North American and European oppositions whereas reverting to something like 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in the African terrain.
Should he elect to delpoy the 5-2-1-2 at the Afcon, my fantasy starting 11 would be:
Goalkeeper:
-Chiamaka Nnadozie
Wingbacks:
– Oyedupe Payne (left)
– Michelle Alozie (right)
Centre Backs:
– Onome Ebi
– Akudo Ogbonna
– Ashleigh Plumptre
Defensive Midfielders
– Regina Otu
– Toni Payne (centre midfield)
Attacking Midfielder
– Rasheedat Ajibade
Strikers
– Asisat Oshoala
– Ifeoma Onumonu
Good luck to the Super Falcons. Another Afcon trophy beckons. I just pray they win the trophy convincingly this time rather than limping to the trophy like the last installment.
@deo Tony Payne appeared twice in your team, Full Name: Antionette Oyedupe Payne unless you are referring to Nicole Payne , the younger sister
I’ll put Ucheibe from Benfica in the Midfield to correct your Error.
Sorry, yes I meant the Nicole Payne in left wingback.
Thanks for spotting that oversight and for then making me aware.
Ucheibe is also a strong viable option in midfield but I think Waldrum will look for a way to accommodate evergreen midfielder Rita Chikwelu in his starting 11. But in struggle to see anything fresh that Chikwelu offers.
Deo, I would tweak your team ever so slightly, to a 5-3-2 line up, as follows:
Nnadozie
Alozie, Ogbonna, Ebi, Plumptre, Payne
Ajibade, Otu, Kanu
Oshoala, Onumonu
Nikki Payne goes to left back, and Kanu comes into the midfield. So we have 2 AMs in Ajibade and Kanu, and one DM in Otu. Payne and Alozie can also push up to add more bodies to the midfield. When they do, it becomes a 3-5-2 formation.
With supply coming from the midfield and the wingbacks Payne and Alozie, Oshoala and Onumonu will get the goals.
5-4-1 would also work, I think.
Nnadozie,
Alozie, Ogbonna, Ebi, Plumptre, Payne
Ajibade, Oshoala, Otu, kanu
Onumonu
Move Ajibade and Kanu to the wings, and move Oshoala to AM.
Leave Onumonu to lead the line. I think Oshoala would be even more deadly as an AM, as that gives her more room to use her skills, power and pace. She will operate in the “hole” behind Onumonu.
The great thing about this team is there are good options on the bench as well. It takes a good bench to win tournaments.
Nff they worry this girl amaju Pinnick god they look you
All I can say is that I don’t think all is well between my girl Desire and the Nff please who can tell me the last time Oparanozie plated for the team.
If something like this happens, there should be reason for it.
If there is a legitimate reason like injury or loss of form, then no problem. What we don’t want is exclusion of a good player because of a clash of egos.
Desire has been very committed to helping the team for years. She deserves to be treated with dignity.