With just eight weeks to their first match of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, Head Coach Chris Musa Danjuma has called up four goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and 12 strikers to a training camp in the Federal Capital, Abuja in the first phase of preparation for the global tournament.
Team captain Oluchi Ohaegbulem is top of the list, with first-choice goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Shukurat Oladipo and Comfort Folorunsho, midfielders Chinyere Kalu, Adoo Yina and Rofiat Imuran, and forwards Janet Akekoromowei, Flourish Sabastine and Aminat Bello also called.
Nigeria, a regular feature at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals since the tournament began as an U19 event in Canada 22 years ago, will contend with three-time winners Germany, Asian powerhouse Korea Republic and South American representatives Venezuela in group D of the competition scheduled take place in three Colombian cities from 31st August to 22nd September 2024.
All the invited are expected at Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja on Sunday, 7th July.
Read Also:Paris 2024: D’Tigress Captain Ogoke Withdraws From Squad Over Personal Issues
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Anderline Mgbechi (Delta Queens); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons); Faith Omilana (Naija Ratels); Shukura Bakare (Nasarawa Amazons)
Defenders: Oluchi Ohaegbulem (Nasarawa Amazons); Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); Shukurat Oladipo (FC Robo Queens); Oluwabunmi Oladeji (Naija Ratels); Folashade Adegbemile (Delta Queens); Chidera Okenwa (Delta Queens); Comfort Folorunsho (Edo Queens); Taiwo Lawal
Midfielders: Adoo Yina (Nasarawa Amazons); Olushola Shobowale (Nasarawa Amazons); Aminat Folorunsho (Rivers Angels); Chioma Olise (Edo Queens); Chinyere Kalu (Nasarawa Amazons); Joy Igbokwe (Naija Ratels); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France); Zikora Agama (Naija Ratels)
Forwards: Delight Nwosu (Dannaz Ladies); Adaobi Okah (Remo Stars Ladies); Chiamaka Okwuchukwu (Rivers Angels); Chinaza Agoh (Delta Queens); Mary Nkpa (Heartland Queens); Chiamaka Osigwe (Edo Queens); Janet Akekoromowei (Asisat Academy); Mary Offor (Adamawa Queens); Flourish Sabastine (Stade de Reims, France); Sharon Ulumma (Heartland Queens); Aminat Bello (Otero College, USA); Reilly Adebowale (Bohemian FC, Republic of Ireland)
15 Comments
Any news on the whereabouts of Esther Onyenezide and Opeyemi Ajakaye….? They both seem to have faded into thin air since their move to Spain.
Onyenezide is 21 this year and aged out of the competition. She got a couple of minutes at Madrid CFF this past season and routinely made the bench, while Ajakaye was in and out of the match day squad but never played.
Oh….Thanks for the update.
I guess that logically explains why “Kurungu” has overlooked them both.
Thanks 9jaRealist,
Ajakaye needs to be playing regularly to acuminate her skills or else she will become rusty.
Onyenezide’s potentials should not be allowed to taper. She should be encouraged like Abiodun.
I think Sebastian is injured. Also, why is no one beat the drum of Mercy Idoko. She offers more contents and possibilities in midfield and I think she plays regularly in Spain.
These players should be monitored regularly and channelled to play regular club games.
@deo, Mercy Idoko is already 21 and will be 22 years old this year (December). She plays in Portugal.
Thanks 9jaRealist, I was actually talking about Mercy Idoko’s passage to the main Super Falcons. Apologies, I meant Portugal.
I was shocked watching the coach the other day in the final of the FA Cup. Before now NFF used to employ coaches full time but these set of NFF officials are bent on destroying our national teams.
Now they get more subventions from FIFA than years gone bye yet the coaches are on contract. While the servants are on full time under A.C., yet we the fans expect the best and insult the coaches when they fail.
Did this coach have enough time to scout for pure talent from secondary schools who can run or the overaged ladies playing in the league.
Disclaimer the coach I mentioned is the one for the U17. The coach of NAIJA Ratels.
Just as with Olowookere at the U17 level, Chris Danjuma, the U20 coach is full-time coach of Nasarawa Amazons.
Can you imagine how our teams are managed by 419 NFF.
With all the money from oil, no permanent one year contract for the coaches. The players must be taxed and the fans must wail.
Also, how come the Falconets and Flamingos are struggling to produce another consistent and precocious goalkeeper? Oyono, Omilana and the others haven’t been consistent enough to push for a place in the Super Falcons.
Even the stand in goalkeeper for the Olympics hasn’t gone through the age grade teams.
Coach Danjuma unearthed Nnadozie for us to enjoy. He hasn’t replicated such an eye for goalkeepers.
I hope this Falconets squad helps us produce the next Nnadozie.
A player like nnadozie doesn’t come too often.. she is world class and a special breed..
One thing I like about our u20 women team is the fact that they always produce one star or the other that end up playing for the super falcons.. the Last one was abiodun and tosin demineh.. we don’t expect all the girls from u20 to displace the regulars in the super falcons but one or two end up displacing the regulars..
Many people do not even remember the old ladies anymore once these young hungry ladies take their shirt.. no people is talking about ngozi nkobi anymore, because an abidun has taken her spot.. players like oparanozie, ordega , and the veteran defender with the world cup caps( forgotten her name) are almost forgotten because one or so always mature from u20 into the senior side..
This is the difference between the male and female team.. little or no competition.. nobody is Scared to lose his shirt, players feeling irreplaceable..
One area I’m looking for more players for the super falcons is in their defense, it looks Abit slim and we don’t have much options. Expecting to see some young girls maturity to take the shirt from the regulars
@Ololo,
If Shukurat Oladipo shows the same sort of form at the U20 WC as she showed at the African Games and in the latter rounds of the WC qualifiers, then I would tag her as a long-term replacement for Osinachi Ohale in CD (albeit I think you may have been referring to Onome Ebi).
In addition, glad that Comfort Folorunso (who played in the 2022 U17 WC and has already made her Super Falcons’ debut in an Olympics qualifier) has recovered from injury that kept her out of the team and the NWFL season for some time, just in time for the NWFL Super Six tournament, to make this preliminary list.
Ololo,
I know Nnadozie is world class but I had expected Oyono and Faith Omilana to at least be showing consistency. But alas they struggle to even prove to be a cut above the rest in the local league.
Both ladies – Omilana and Oyono – can be top quality goalkeepers in their own right if they work really hard and luck shines on them. But again, their development seems to have stalled, despite early promises and I ask why.
Linda Chikamso Jiwuaku, the third choice of the three appeared to be leapfrogging them to senior level football but even she seems to be stalling in national team career development.
One of these three should by now be giving Nnadozie a run for her money.
@deo, sorry but Linda Jiwuaku is NOT “leapfrogging” anyone…
I think the NFF uses the Super Falcons’ 3d choice GK spot as some sort of quota spot for a NWFL player, but the criteria used to fill that spot is befuddling. Jiwuaku was in the training camp of the U20 Falconets for the WC qualifiers and the African Games (competing against the likes of Omilana, Mgbechi, Bakare, and Unachukwu), and each time failed to make the final squad. She is THIRD-CHOICE at Bayelsa, behind Oyono and Okeke, and I don’t think she played in any NWFL games this past season, leaving one to wonder where the NFF selectors sees her performances that merits several Super Falcons’ invitations.
It was essentially the same befuddlement when Christy Obia, who is a RESERVE goalkeeper at Edo Queens, was invited to the Super Falcons’ squad. Even when Oyono was called up, she was the RESERVE goalkeeper at Bayelsa Queens behind then regular GK Onyinye Okeke. Ironically, Oyono subsequently became the first-choice GK at Bayelsa and stopped being invited (coinciding with Jiwuaku’s call-up).
Anyway, I wouldn’t worry so much about our long-term Super Falcons’ prospects (albeit thankfully, barring injury, Nnadozie will be there for a while). Omilana, Mgbechi, Unachukwu, Uzoma (Flamingos), etc., all look like very talented prospects – just as Nnadozie looked at U17 (when her set failed to qualify for the WC) and U20 levels. Apparent from her undeniable talent (which was evident even at the youth levels), what has helped Nnadozie the most was moving abroad as a teenager on the back of her big break at the 2019 WWC (after earning a squad spot on the basis of her 2018 U20 WC performance and with the almost entirely home-based Super Falcons squad to the 2019 WAFU Cup, coached by WC coach Tom Dennerby). Accordingly, the upcoming 2024 U20 WC may prove vital for one of the current prospects.
Thanks 9jaRealist, you sure know your stuff. My emphasis wasn’t so much on the (dubious) criteria for inviting Linda Chikamso Jiwuaku to the national team. Rather, I was trying to say that, despite her under 17 penalty heroics and sparse Super Falcons invites, Linda Chikamso Jiwuaku has shown any case for subsequent invitations.
In fact, like you eloquently stated, despite being a seasoned Under-17 and Under-20 international, I am shocked to find out through your write up above that she struggles for game-time in the domestic scene, being placed so low as third choice club goalkeeper.
Oyono, Omilana and Jiwuaku need to step up.