Nigeria’s Senior Women National Team fly out of the country on Tuesday night for the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, believing they can do something new at the global table of women’s football.
The contingent will fly out of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard an Air France aircraft at midnight, and arrive in Paris on Wednesday morning before connecting another flight to Toronto, Canada.
Coach Edwin Okon and 10 other officials will travel with 26 players, and two others, Skipper Evelyn Nwabuoku and forward Francesca Ordega are set to join the team at the training camp in Toronto.
Nwabuoku, who scored a screamer in the 8-0 demolition of Mali in an All-Africa Games qualifier in Abuja last month, has recently been hooked by Kazakhstan women league champions, while Ordega, who also netted a brace in that match, plays for Washington Spirit in the USA.
Okon on Sunday dropped eight players, namely Chisom Henry, Yetunde Adeboyejo, Chioma Wogu, Onyinyechi Okeke, Gladys Akpa, Ramatu Abdulkarim, Winifred Eyebhokia and Chinaza Uchendu from the squad.
The Falcons have played in all previous six editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, reaching the quarter -finals in the United States of America in 1999.
Already confirmed for the African champions is a friendly against the Senior Women National Team of Canada on 25th May. On the same day, Okon will name his 23-woman squad to represent Nigeria at the finals.
The Super Falcons play Sweden in their first match of the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup in Winnipeg on 8th June, with other matches against Australia (also in Winnipeg) and USA (in Vancouver) to come in Group D.
PLAYERS HEADED FOR TORONTO
1-Precious Dede
2- Ibubeleye Whyte
3 – Christy Ohaeriaku
4- Sandra Chii Chii
5- Onome Ebi
6- Osinachi Ohale
7- Josephine Chukwunonye
8- Ngozi Ebere
9- Blessing Edoho
10- Sarah Nnodim
11- Mariam Ibrahim
12- Ugo Njoku
13- Evelyn Nwabuoku
14-Perpetua Nkwocha
15- Onyinyechi Ohadugha
16- Halimat Ayinde
17- Cecilia Nku
18- Ngozi Okobi
19- Esther Sunday
20- Loveth Ayila
21- Chiwendu Ihezuo
22- Desire Oparanozie
23- Asisat Oshoala
24- Francisca Ordega
25- Iniabasi Umotong
26- Courtney Dike
27- Evelyn Nwabuoku
28- Francesca Ordega