Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum will be anticipating a full house today following the arrivals of forwards Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo at the Super Falcons’ camp in Sevilla, Spain yesterday.
With the arrival of the two players yesterday, there were 20 players in the camp with Waldrum expecting only defender Oluwatosin Demehin and forward Chinonyerem Macleans as the nine-time African champions intensified preparations for their return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
Both players are scheduled to arrive at the team’s Hotel Barceló Montecastillo Golf and Resort this afternoon.
A full camp means Coach Randy Waldrum and his assistants will have five whole days to work with the entire playing body, as well as the alternates, ahead of Wednesday’s training match with reigning Olympic champions Canada.
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Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade was among the first arrivals, alongside goalkeepers Chiamaka Nnadozie and Tochukwu Oluehi, defenders Chidinma Okeke and Nicole Payne, midfielders Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne, Deborah Abiodun and Jennifer Echegini, and forward Esther Okoronkwo.
Two alternates – goalkeeper Morufa Ademola and forward Gift Monday were also early arrivals.
It will be recalled that the Super Falcons defeated reigning African champions South Africa to qualify for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time in 16 years. They will represent Africa alongside Zambia.
The Super Falcons will fly into France on Thursday, 18th July – exactly a week to their tournament-opening match against illustrious opponents Brazil at the Stade Bordeaux. Their two other games in the group phase, against Spain and Japan in that order, will take place at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.
The nine-time African champions last played at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in China in 2008 after making their debut in 2000 in Australia, where they lost 1-3 each to China, eventual winners Norway and eventual silver medallists USA. Perpetua Nkwocha scored the lone goal against China while Mercy Akide was the scorer against both Norway and USA.
Nigeria’s best outing – so far – at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament was in Athens 20 years ago, where the Super Falcons finished in 6th place after exiting the tournament in the quarter-finals.
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