Ajiabade, Payne, Oshoala, Alozie in; Plumptre, Ebi out: 19 Super Falcons gear up for Olympic clash with Ethiopia

The Super Falcons of Nigeria has been slated to tackle Ethiopia in the coming days for their 2024 Olympic qualifying rounds

Nigeria Football Federation has announced 19 Super Falcons squad that will lock horns with Ethiopia for their Olympic qualification tie slated to hold in Paris next year, Soccernet.ng reports.

The squad includes in-form players like Chiamaka Nnadozie, Oluwatosin Demehin, Rasheedat Ajibade, and Asisat Oshoala, who will be preparing for an official training session scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

This session which will take place at the Abebe Bekila Stadium is in anticipation of their upcoming second-round, first-leg encounter in the 2024 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament against Ethiopia’s ‘Lucy’ in Addis Ababa.

19 Super Falcons have been called upon, which includes goalkeepers Tochukwu Oluehi and Monle Oyono, defenders like Rofiat Imuran, Michelle Alozie, Nicole Payne, Akudo Ogbonna, Jumoke Alani, and Comfort Folorunsho.

Esther Onyenezide, Toni Payne, and Peace Efih, are expected the mount the midfield for Randy Waldrum’s troops, along with forwards like Uchenna Kanu, Gift Monday, Omorinsola Babajide, and Opeyemi Ajakaye.

Meanwhile, according to the communique released by the Nigerian Football body, the arrival of US-based forward Ifeoma Onumonu is expected on Tuesday night in Addis Ababa.

However, Ashleigh Plumptre who recently joined Saudi Premier League women’s team, Al Ittihad after her contract’s expiration with Leicester City women, is not on the list.

Likewise, Super Falcons captain, Onome Ebi, will not be joining the 11-time Africa Women’s Cup of Nations champions for the Olympic qualifications tie.

The match is set to kick off at the Abebe Bekila Stadium on Wednesday, starting at 3:30 PM Ethiopia time, which corresponds to 1:30 PM Nigeria time.

For the return leg of this crucial fixture, the teams will compete at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, slated for Tuesday, 31st October 2023.

The team that secures victory on aggregate will progress to face the winner of the Cameroon/Uganda fixture for a place in the final qualification round.