Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, midfielder Rasheedat Ajibade and forward Asisat Oshoala are among 24 players invited to the Super Falcons’ camp for next week’s 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations first round, first leg qualifying match against Sao Tome and Principe.
Also on the roster are captain Onome Ebi, defenders Oluwatosin Demehin, Michelle Alozie and Rofiat Imuran, midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade and Toni Payne, and forwards Ifeoma Onumonu, Vivian Ikechukwu and Gift Monday.
Nine-time African champions Nigeria will host the Sao Tome and Principe girls at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Friday, 22nd September, with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, 26th September.
The winner of this fixture will be eligible to confront the winner of another first round fixture between Cape Verde and Liberia, at the second-round stage slated for the period 27th November – 5th December.
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Morocco, which hosted last year’s edition of the continental showpiece, will again host next year’s spectacle.
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia); Monle Oyono (Bayelsa Queens)
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Naija Ratels); Akudo Ogbonna (Remo Stars Ladies); Comfort Folorunsho (Edo Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Paris Saint Germain, France); Jumoke Alani (Edo Queens); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France)
Midfielders: Peace Efih (Sporting Club de Braga, Portugal); Esther Onyenezide (FC Robo Queens); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (AS Saint Etienne, France)
Forwards: Flourish Sebastine (Bayelsa Queens); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona Feminine, Spain); Vivian Ikechukwu (Besiktas JK, Turkey); Gift Monday (UDG Tenerife, Spain); Chiamaka Okuchukwu (Rivers Angels); Opeyemi Ajakaye (FC Robo Queens)
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COMMENTS
Who will lead the team ?
No hiding place for Morocco now
No hiding place for Morocco now
I see it’s a good injection of the Falconets. But no Kanu? No Oluehi? Okobi still out? Is this permanent?
Good to see Nicole Payne on the list. Is Ebi still playing? Oluehi too?
And “who” invited? Waldrum or the NFF? I see CSN has deliberately and artfully glossed over that important piece of information of who drafted the list.
Boss whoever they invite it is Sao tome & Principe even NPFL ladies will do the job.
Having giving us a taste of what if feels like to be truly among the best teams in world female football, we Super Falcons fans are itching for more.
For most of us, nothing will make us happier than to see the Super Falcons qualify for the Olympics next summer whereupon we will see this generation of fabulous talents once again strut their stuff on a global stage.
So, although it’s Afcon qualifiers, although the opposition is Sao Tome and principe, every game now is important. Important because it will help the team prepare for the ultimate : Olympic qualifiers.
Whether it’s the NFF’s newly revamped Technical Committee or Randy Waldrum that compiled this list, it really doesn’t matter to me as I am satisfied with it by and large.
Undoubtedly though, some big hitters in the just concluded World Cup missed out, they will get their chance in future, I hope. World Cup heroes like Ashleigh Plumptre, Deborah Abiodun Halimat Ayinde, Esther Echegini, Francisca Ordega and Esther Okoronkwo are notable absentees from this list. Unless their exclusion was due to unavoidable circumstances, it is understandable if they feel a bit hard done by due to their stellar performances in Australia.
But, to be honest, I welcome some of the new additions that I am conversant with.
Flourish Sabastine’s electric pace and dribbling abilities are well documented. Esther Onyenezide’s vision, passing abilities and pitch-craft are a welcome addition. Nicole Payne and Jumoke Alani are versatile defenders while Opeyemi Ajakaye is a raw centre forward whose refinement will come in due time with games and exposure.
With the discipline infused into the team by Waldrum, this team have it in them to really push the envelope further in the next 12 months.
If the team goes far and eventually qualifies for the Olympics, then hardly 3 months will go by in the next 12 months without seeing the Super Falcons in action.
And with players like Isreal based Mercy Idoko, Watford’s Jumoke Arimoro, MK Dons’ Adekite Fatuga-Dada and Lokomotiv Moscow’s Macleans Chinonyerem waiting on the wings of the team, I can hardly wait for what the Super Falcons have to offer in coming games.
This is a killer squad. With what I saw at the world cup, it will be easier for a Carmel to pass through the eye of a middle than to defeat Super Falcons in this qualifying or the tournament itself.
Nigeria again for Sao Tome? The one way Sao Tome don collect never do?
After wotowoto on the men’s side, another wotowoto is loading on the female side.
Sao Tome have to lodge a serious protest on this matter.
Lol. Na because say we finish outside top 3 for WAFCON we dey play two (four matches) qualifiers. Sao borrowed stadium will be the worse wotowoto.
Unfortunately for Sao Tome, the SF will not be taking things easy with them at all.
They want to demonstrate that what the men can do, our women can do even better.
Wahala unlimited na em we dey see so 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ahaaa, ok, I now see what is happening.
CAF want Nigeria to spell SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE.
So far, our men have spelled SAO TOME AND PRINCI.
Na to add PE na em remain.
The men have tried, but they have not completed the job.
So the women will now step in to finish up.
Is this third goalkeeper not the Falconet’s goalkeeper who was not convincing at the Women’s U20 world cup? If we need to groom goalkeepers why not start grooming Faith Ominlana who was very good at the U-17 Wen’s world cup?
This nonsense politics in the NFF has started again. I read in one news medium that it was the refusal to include Oyono that led to NFF’s decision not to allow the coach go to WWC with his female assistant.
We have the quality to rule the world in female football if we are deliberate to do the right thing and jettison favouritism that will take us nowhere
Hi Chudynak,
Funnily, that thought came to my mind. Omini Oyono looked very unconvincing at the U-20 World Cup last year. Her catching technique was particularly suspect. She displayed ineffective composure and looked overawed by the occasion.
But, having said all that, she paradoxically actually looks the part to me. In my eyes, she has the build of a gifted goalkeeper. Oyono surely has the talents and will be hoping to improve.
“Honestly, I am not proud of my performance in the world cup in Costa Rica,” said Oyono to a Reporter from Punch newspaper. “I feel I should have done better, especially the mistake I made against Canada; it hurts me so much.” She added.
The good thing is that she knows she is far from that finished article.
“My dream is to play outside Nigeria and show the world my talents, but first I need to first improve on the areas I am lacking to become a better goalkeeper.” Said Oyono.
About following in the footsteps of her former colleagues Deborah Abiodun, Rafiat Omuran and Tosin Demehin into the Super Falcons, Oyono said: For me, I believe it’s a matter of time and grace, if others can break into the senior national team, I believe I can too.”
On one of her key ambitions as a footballer, Oyono concluded: “My biggest ambition is to make money, come back home and build a football academy in my state.”