By Francis Ajuonuma
Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, and topped the list of 18-woman Super Falcons team picked by Head Coach Randy Waldrum to prosecute the women’s football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
Also on the train to Paris are defenders – Osinachi Ohale, Oluwatosin Demehin and Michelle Alozie, midfielders – Deborah Abiodun, Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe and Toni Payne, and forwards – Asisat Oshoala Esther Okoronkwo, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kanu.
Squad members who are currently on holidays in Nigeria will join home-based players and team officials aboard an Air France flight from Abuja to Sevilla, Spain Thursday’s night, with the rest of the playing body and technical team also arriving in Sevilla on Friday for a two-week training camp.
The team is scheduled to depart Sevilla for France on Thursday, 18th July.
Nine-time African champions, Nigeria, who are making their first appearance at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time since 2008 in China, will tackle Brazil, Spain and Japan, in that order, at this year’s tournament.
To qualify for the 12-team tournament, the Falcons edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 1-0, with a strike from the penalty spot in Abuja by Ajibade separating Africa’s top two teams over two legs in the month of April.
Their first game, against Brazil, comes up at the Stade Bordeaux on 25th July, before confrontations with Spain (28th July) and Japan (31st July). The matches against Spain and Japan will hold at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, where the Super Eagles famously defeated tournament favourites Spain 3-2 in a memorable game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals.
Tochukwu Oluehi, Chidinma Okeke, Jennifer Echegini and Chinonyerem Macleans complete the list.
However, four players – Jumoke Alani, Ifeoma Onumonu, Gift Monday and Morufa Ademola, are on standby, while former captain, Onome Ebi and veteran winger, Francesca Ordega were missing from the list.
