A
contingent of nine –time African champions Nigeria has arrived in the Austrian
capital, Vienna for an 8-day training camp as part of intense preparations for
some upcoming challenges, most notably the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s
Football Tournament.
The
City of Lagos will host the six-nation invitational that will see the Super
Falcons, Ghana’s Black Queens, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, Banyana
Banyana of South Africa, Morocco and Mali tango in a celebratory atmosphere in
the month of September for a glittering trophy named in honour of Nigeria’s
First Lady, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari.
A
total of 26 players, alongside technical and administrative staff, are
ensconced at the Event Hotel Pyramide Vienna for the purpose of total
concentration as Coach Randy Waldrum seeks to harness the mdifferent qualities
and abilities of individual players to conflate a better and stronger team.
New
faces have continued to emerge in the camp of the Super Falcons as Coach
Waldrum’s roving lenses have been picking up Nigeria-eligible dames from across
the globe to strengthen the squad.
Before
the Summer Series tour of the United States of America in June, where the
Falcons drew with Portugal and lost narrowly to Jamaica and hosts USWNT, few
Nigerian ball fans had heard of Yewande Balogun, Onyinyechi Zogg, Nicole Payne
and Michelle Alozie. But they formed part of a group that bonded fabulously
with foreign-based and home-based professionals and presaged an interesting
future for the Falcons.
Nigeria
is in the Club of only seven countries that have qualified for and participated
at every edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since the competition was
launched in 1991, and has also featured in three Olympic Games.
Waldrum
has unearthed even more prospects as the Ijeh sisters (Josephine and Evelyn),
Megan Ashleigh and Ninuola Dada are part of the training camp in Austria, even
as England –based forward Ini-Abasi mUmotong makes a return to the fold of the
perennial African champions.
The
camp in Austria is the third gathering that the Nigeria Football Federation has
arranged for the Super Falcons this year, following an interesting
three-wins-out-three account at the Turkish Women’s Cup in Antalya in February
and the Summer Series in the USA last month.
First
–choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Osinachi Ohale, midfield impresario Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene and
forward Uchenna Kanu, who all missed the tour of USA for one reason or the
other, are in Austria. There is also a return for former captain Desire
Oparanozie as well as fellow forward Ebere Orji.
The
countdown to the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament has already
started with the Super Falcons insisting the trophy will surely remain in
Nigeria after the one-week event. The Falcons have won all but two of the 11
editions of the Women AFCON held since the first edition in 1998.
South
Africa’s Banyana Banyana have played in every single edition of the Women AFCON
as well, and have also played in two Olympics. The Banyana were the runners-up
to the Falcons in the last edition of the Women AFCON in Ghana in 2018.
Ghana’s
Black Queens have played in 10 out of the 11 editions of the Women AFCON, and
have also played at three (3) editions of the FIFA World Cup. The Queens were
runners-up to the Falcons in the inaugural edition of the Women AFCON in
Nigeria in 1998.
Cameroon’s
Lionesses lost by a lone goal to Nigeria in the final of the 2016 Women AFCON
inside the Stade Ahmadu Ahidjo in Yaounde. They have also participated in every
edition of the Women AFCON and also played at two FIFA Women’s World Cup
editions, including a second-round berth.
Mali
have played at seven (7) editions of the Women AFCON and are considered a very
strong team in the WAFU A region.
Morocco
is one of the strongest teams in the North African region and the girls have
featured at two editions of the Women AFCON.
SUPER
FALCONS IN AUSTRIA
Goalkeepers: Tochukwu Oluehi (CD Pozoalbense,
Spain); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Patience Okeke (Bayelsa Queens);
Yewande Balogun (California Storm, USA)
Defenders: Glory Ogbonna (Edo Queens);
Osinachi Ohale (Madrid CFF, Spain); Esther Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Chidinma Okeke
(Madrid CFF, Spain); Onyinyechi Zogg (FC Zurich, Switzerland); Nicole Payne
(West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash Reserves, USA);
Megan Ashleigh (Leicester City, England); Josephine Ijeh (BK Hacken, Sweden)
Midfielders: Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain);
Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna United, Sweden); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain);
Mowaninuola Dada (Watford FC, England)
Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid,
Spain); Francisca Ordega (Levante UD, Spain); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Joy
Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens); Uchenna Kanu (Linkopings FC, Sweden); Ebere Orji
(Sundsvall DFF, Sweden); Ini-Abasi Umotong (Lewes FC, England); Evelyn Ijeh (BK
Hacken, Sweden); Desire Oparanozie (FC Dijon, France)
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