BEVERLY HILLS, May 22, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the upcoming Summer Series tour of the United States of America, where nine-time African champions and Nigeria’s senior women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, will play four-time world champions the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), alongside Portugal and Jamaica, Falcons’ coach Randy Waldrum has submitted a provisional list of 25 players invited for the tour.
From this list, a squad shortlist of 23 will make the team that Waldrum will take to the US, from a star-studded compilation that includes one of the best female forwards in the world, team captain Asisat Oshoala, who recently became the first African player to win a UEFA Women Champions League trophy.
Waldrum displayed a sense of appreciation for home-based players, inviting 10 to join their foreign compatriots such as veteran defender Onome Ebi, who plays in Belarus, France-based youthful goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, midfielder Halimatu Ayinde, who plays in Sweden and Atletico Madrid Feminino forward Rasheedat Ajibade.
As THEWILL reported, the Falcons’ match against the USWNT will be a record honour as it will be the first-ever match to be played at the $260 million, privately-financed, state-of-the-art Q2 soccer stadium in Austin, Texas, built by the newest club in the Major League Soccer, Austin FC
The friendly tie between the Super Falcons will be the final USWNT international game before USWNT coach, Vlatko Andonovski, names the 18-player Olympic Team roster for Tokyo. The Stars and Stripes will also play two Olympic send-off matches in early July before leaving for Japan.
As another first of many, the match between the Super Falcons and the USWNT at the Q2 Stadium will also be the first time the Stars and Stripes will clash with their Nigerian counterparts outside of a world championship.
However, it will be the third-ever exhibition match against an African country, with the previous two coming against South Africa’s Bayana Bayana.
Other national teams expected to feature at the USWNT Summer Series are Portugal and Jamaica on June 10 and 13, respectively. Those games will be followed by the Falcons match at Q2 Stadium against the American ladies on June 16.
Waldrum’s full provisional list:
GOALKEEPERS:
Tochukwu Oluehi (CD Pozoalbense, Spain); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Inyene Etim (Abia Angels FC)
DEFENDERS:
Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Gloria Ogbonna (Edo Queens FC); Osinachi Ohale (Madrid CFF, Spain); Oluwatosin Dimehin (Sunshine Queens FC); Chidinma Okeke (Madrid CFF, Spain); Abidemi Ibe (Bayelsa Queens FC); Patricia George (Sands FC, Germany); Esther Ogbonna (Sunshine Queens FC)
MIDFIELDERS:
Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna FC, Sweden); Celine Ottah (Bayelsa Queens FC); Halimatu Ayinde (Eskilstuna FC, Sweden); Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Amanda Mbadi (Bayelsa Queens FC)
FORWARDS:
Asisat Oshoala (FC Barcelona, Spain); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels FC); Uchenna Kanu (Linkopings FC, Sweden); Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Francisca Ordega (Levante FC, Spain); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Joy Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens FC); Charity Adule (SD Eibars FC, Spain)
Once again, for the second biggest invitational, the list excludes Desire Oparanozie, who stars as a forward for Dijon FCO in the French Division 1 Féminine, the highest division of women’s football in France. THEWILL recalls that the 27-year-old was also left out of the 23-player squad for the Turkish Women’s Cup, which the nine-time African champions won in February, this year.
Oparanozie, who has played for the Super Falcons since 2010 and has a healthy goal-scoring record of 22 goals in 35 matches in the national colours, has been allegedly left out in the cold after leading the sit-in protest that brought attention to the unpaid bonuses and allowances owed the Falcons from the France-hosted 2019 World Cup.
It remains to be seen whether she will ever return to the squad as a new manager attempts to break from the simple continental powerhouse the Super Falcons have been so far and begins to mould them into a global force to be reckoned with in female football.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
