Rivers Angels head coach Edwin Okon will be without Super Falcons stars to the recently held West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup tournament when his side feature in Sunday’s Champions Shield match in Lagos.
Five Angels players; goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Mary Ologbosere and attackers Chioma Wogu, Alice Ogebe and Chinaza Uchendu played major roles for the Falcons side which finished third at the end of the tournament.
Okon in a chat with www.aclsports.com disclosed that he will not be calling on any of the quintet so as to afford them enough rest after the tournament.
“No, I have enough, I don’t need to bother them,” replied Okon when asked if he will be in need of the players.
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“I have enough (players), I don’t need to stress them. (They are) just coming from Abidjan, joined the team on Wednesday or Thursday and expect to travel on Friday again for the match?
“No. (That will) not (be) a good one for the team. When you know what you have in your house, then you should allow those that just come have a break to rest,” he added.
“Why are we signing thirty or thirty five players?
“That is the essence of it so as not to stress players at that level. Out of thirty five, we should be able to get eighteen or twenty players that can represent the club at that level,” stressed Okon.
Okon was Nigeria’s head coach to the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada. He lauded the composition of players for the Super Falcons to the WAFU Cup tournament in Abidjan.
“It is a good one for those players because that is what we are looking for: bringing up those that have not been there for them to see how it is. Just one step and before you know it, they are there.
“I went to the World Cup (in 2015) with those that people don’t even know and at the end of the day, twelve of them got contracts (abroad) from the World Cup squad.
“There is so much talent in the league and it is a good one for those that went to the WAFU Cup. By the next time, you see them rising up to that challenge,” submitted Okon.
Rivers Angels; winners of the 2017 AITEO Cup will face Nigeria Women’s Football League champions Nasarawa Amazons at the Agege Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
