Outrage as NFF drops in-form Oparanozie, invites players without clubs for one year
Sodiq Oyeleke
Many Nigerians have lambasted the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Falcons Coach Randy Waldrum for dropping former captain of the side Desire Oparanozie from the list of players for the friendly tournament in Turkey despite her sterling performances for Dijon in the French league.
The 27-year-old striker has 35 caps for the women’s national team, scoring 22 goals.
The PUNCH had reported that Oparanozie, who has been in fine form, was excluded from the team while 38-year-old Onome Ebi, Francisca Ordega, and Chinwendu Ihezuo, who had not played any competitive match for any club for over 11 months, were included in the 23-man list released by the NFF for the tournament.
Ahead of 2022 Africa Women s Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Super Falcons are launching their preparations at the 2021 Turkish Women s Cup, scheduled to be held from February 15-24.
The Nigeria-based delegation, including nine players, were led by Honorable Ayo Omidiran - the NFF women s football committee chair arrived in the host city on Monday afternoon.
Christy Ohiaeriaku, Onome Ebi, Glory Ogbonna, Mariam Ibrahim, Chidinma Okeke, Habeebat Akinwande, Francisca Ordega, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Gift Monday were the nine players from Lagos.
During the 10-day competition, they will face CSKA Moscow, Uzbekistan and Equatorial Guinea at the fifth edition of the women s invitational tournament.
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Ebenezer Bajela
Former Super Falcons captain, Desire Oparanozie, has lashed out at the Nigeria Football Federation following her exclusion from the list of players for the Turkish Women’s Cup, which begins on Monday.
The NFF last Thursday released a 23-man list for the tournament, with some stakeholders questioning the inclusion of Onome Ebi, who turns 38 in May and has not tasted competitive football action, alongside Francisca Ordega and Chinwendu Ihezuo, the trio all without clubs.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Henan Jianye striker Ihezuo was unable to return to China to compete in the 2020 Chinese Women’s Super League season despite being under contract for a second season. Both Ihezuo and Ebi, who was also at Jianye before the expiration of her contract, missed the entire campaign due to the closure of air travels out of Nigeria.