Coach Randy Waldrum has invited twenty-three players for the encounter and has called up, for the first time, Rivers Angels left back Rofiat Imuran but Houston Dash star Michelle Alozie has been dropped.
Super Falcons head coach Waldrum has made some big calls ahead of next week’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifying clash with Ghana.
Alozie is the prominent name dropped from the squad which lost the Aisha Buhari Cup title to South Africa in Lagos last month but misfiring attackers Desire Oparanozie and Francisca Ordega have all been invited.
Nigeria will face Ghana in a crunch AWCON qualifying duel in October with only the winner among the two nations qualifying for next year’s continental showpiece in Morocco.
In-form Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala tops the list of the twenty-three invited players while there are recalls for defender Osinachi Ohale as well as midfielders Rasheedat Ajibade and Toni Payne.
Defenders Oluwatosin Demehin and Imuran who both play for Nigerian Champions Rivers Angels have been drafted in from the National Under 20 side Falconets which defeated Central African Republic 11-0 on aggregate last week.
Demehin had made her Falcons debut during the team’s US Summer Series tour in Texas last summer. Other home based players including Gift Monday and Vivian Ikechukwu also made the cut.
Nigeria will host the first leg against Ghana at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 before facing the Ghanaians in the return leg in Accra on Sunday, October 24.
INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Tochukwu Oluehi (Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, Israel); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Yewande Balogun (California Storm, USA)
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Glory Ogbonna (Umea FC, Sweden); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Ayomide Ojo (Edo Queens); Rafiat Imuran (Rivers Angels); Opeyemi Sunday (Edo Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Rivers Angels); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)
Midfielders: Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Toni Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus); Goodness Onyebuchi (Edo Queens); Joy Bokiri (AIK FC, Sweden)
Forwards: Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Uchenna Kanu (Linkopings FC, Sweden); Desire Oparanozie (Dijon FC, France); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels)
