By Victor Kanayo
With few weeks to the kickoff of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Nigeria has unveiled the list of players to prosecute the competition to be staged in Australia and New Zealand.
First Squad Announcement
The release means Nigeria is the first African side to make official announcement of their team list among qualified teams.
Morocco, South Africa and Zambia are the other African countries in the continental pool.
The Nigerian list comprising mainly foreign players was released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Friday morning, via a press statement to Heritage Times HT in Abuja.
Key Guns
Top on the list is African player of the year Asisat Oshoala.
Nigeria’s head coach Coach Randy Waldrum also included attacking midfielder Rasheedat Ajibade and history-making captain Onome Ebi in his list of 23 Super Falcons.
There is also first choice goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, as well as defenders Osinachi Ohale and Oluwatosin Demehin, midfielders Halimatu Ayinde and Christy Ucheibe, and forwards Esther Okoronkwo and Desire Oparanozie.
Group Date
Nigeria will play Canada, co-host nation Australia and the Republic of Ireland in that order at the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in history, with 32 teams set to debut at the championship – same number as for the men’s finals in Qatar last year.
“Nine-time African champions Nigeria, who were within whistling distance of the semi-finals before losing to Brazil in extra time in the United States of America in 1999, will arrive in Australia on Tuesday, July 4, for a 15-day final camping programme before the finals begin on July 20,” a statement from NFF added.
Full Nigeria’s Super Falcons World Cup list
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Tochukwu Oluehi (Hakkarigucu Spor FC, Turkey); Yewande Balogun (AS Saint-Etienne, France).
Defenders: Onome Ebi (Abia Angels); Osinachi Ohale (Deportivo Alaves, Spain); Glory Ogbonna (Besiktas JK, Turkey); Ashleigh Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Rofiat Imuran (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France).
Midfielders: Halimatu Ayinde (Rosengard FC, Sweden); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Deborah Abiodun (Rivers Angels); Jennifer Echegini (Florida State University, USA).
Forwards: Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, Kentucky, USA); Gift Monday (UDG Tenerife, Spain); Ifeoma Onumonu (NY/NJ Gotham FC, USA); Asisat Oshoala(Barcelona Femenine, Spain); Desire Oparanozie (Wuhan Chegu Jianghan, China); Francisca Ordega (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint-Etienne, France).
