AHEAD 9TH WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Forty-one-year-old Onome Ebi who has been idle at Spanish side Levante Las Planas has been included in Super Falcons’ squad to next month’s Revelation Cup Tournament to be staged in Leon, Mexico City.
Ebi was overlooked by Coach F. Cabello Bellet in Wednesday’s Spanish Primera Liga F as Asisat Oshoala scored her first hat trick of the season. Barcelona Femeni won the match 7-0 to set a world record of 50 straight league wins in the Spanish topflight.
Rita Chikwelu was the other Nigerian international that played for Levante in that match.
Nigeria’s college-level coach, Randy Waldrum, whose performance with the Super Falcons has been far from expectations, also picked Paris FC goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie in his 23-player squad for the trip to Mexico.
Hosts Mexico, Nigeria, Costa Rica and Colombia are the participating teams at the tournament in the State of Guanajuato, with matches to be played between February 15 and 21.
According to the organisers, the main objective of the tournament is to prepare the contestants for the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand this summer.
Nine -time African champions Super Falcons will play their first game of the tournament against hosts Mexico starting at 4pm Mexico time (10pm Nigeria time) on Wednesday, 15th February, three hours after the opening match between Costa Rica and Colombia.
On Saturday, 18th February, the Falcons will be up against Colombia at 1pm Mexico time (7pm Nigeria time), before Costa Rica square up against the host nation.
Costa Rica will be Nigeria’s last opponents, both teams locking horns as from 5pm Mexico time (11pm Nigeria time) on Tuesday 21st February, before hosts Mexico and Colombia draw the curtain on the four-nation tourney.
Nigeria’s delegation to the tournament will depart the country’s shores on Saturday, February 11.
The Super Falcons will tackle co-hosts Australia, Olympic champions Canada and debutants Republic of Ireland at what will be the biggest FIFA Women’s World Cup finals ever, this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
INVITED PLAYERS
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Yewande Balogun (AS Saint-Etienne, France)
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Levante Las Planas (Spain); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Glory Ogbonna (ALG Spor, Turkey); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Akudo Ogbonna (Rivers Angels)
Midfielders: Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna United, Sweden); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Jennifer Echegini (Florida State University, USA); Regina Otu (AS Saint-Etienne, France)
Forwards: Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona Femenin, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint-Etienne, France); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Chinwendu Ihezuo (Rayadas Monterrey, Mexico); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Uchenna Kanu (Tigres Femenil, Mexico)
