Days after the senior males’s nationwide group of Nigeria, Tremendous Eagles, dashed Bénin Republic’s dream of a first-ever FIFA World Cup look, the senior ladies’s group, Tremendous Falcons, are all set to cease their counterparts from the identical nation from reaching the Ladies’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Each West African neighbours conflict in a closing qualifying fixture for the 2026 Ladies’s Africa Cup of Nations championship to be hosted by Morocco, and which serves as Africa’s qualifying match for the 2027 FIFA Ladies’s World Cup finals, to be hosted by Brazil.
Ten-time champions Nigeria are the overdogs on this fixture by a rustic mile.
For each encounters, beginning with the primary leg on the Stade Kegue, Lome (Bénin Republic doesn’t have a CAF-approved venue), Nigeria’s head coach Justine Madugu has known as up a complete of 21 gamers, together with three goalkeepers, seven defenders, 5 midfielders and 6 forwards.
They embody captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who was voted Participant of the Event at this yr’s Ladies AFCON in Morocco, which Nigeria gained, and who solely on Thursday night time, scored for her new membership (PSG of France) of their UEFA Ladies’s Champions League conflict with Actual Madrid.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie (Africa’s Goalkeeper of the 12 months for 2 years operating), defender Michelle Alozie and Ashleigh Plumptre, midfielders Jennifer Echegini and Deborah Abiodun, and forwards Asisat Oshoala, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Folashade Ijamilusi have all been invited.
There are additionally Mexico-based defender Osinachi Ohale, hard-as-nails midfielder Christy Ucheibe, and ahead Esther Okoronkwo.
The return leg is slated for the MKO Abiola Sports activities Advanced, Abeokuta on Tuesday, twenty eighth October .
SUPER FALCONS FOR WAFCON QUALIFYING FIXTURE VS BÉNIN:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton Hove & Albion, England); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)
Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Membership de Futbol, Mexico); Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy); Michelle Alozie (Houston Sprint, USA); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Girls FC, Saudi Arabia); Blessing Ilivieda (Bayelsa Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey); Miracle Usani (Abia Angels)
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Midfielders: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris Saint Germain, France); Taiwo Afolabi (Rivers Angels); Deborah Abiodun (Washington Spirit, USA); Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)
Forwards: Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Membership de Futbol, Mexico); Pleasure Omewa (Fortuna Hjorrin FC, Denmark); Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto, Canada); Asisat Oshoala (Al Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Folashade Ijamilusi (Liaoning Shenyang Shenbei Hefeng, China); Kafayat Mafisere (Edo Queens)
