The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed huge surprise following the late withdrawals of Asisat Oshoala and Jennifer Echegini as both players voluntarily opted out of the Super Falcons’ 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying fixture against Cape Verde.
The Falcons take on Cape Verde in the first leg of the encounter at Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Thursday.
As the players are expected to start arriving today, the country’s football governing body announced on Sunday that the Barcelona striker and the America-based midfielder would not take part in the WAFCON qualifiers while coach Justin Madugu had been compelled to pick replacements for the duo.
In a statement by the NFF communications department, assistant director (Technical), Abdulrafiu Yusuf, said the two players had been sent their flight tickets to travel to Nigeria a whole week before they announced on Saturday that they would be unable to join the squad.
“We were surprised that they had the flight tickets for so long and did not say anything, only for them to send different messages on Saturday that they would be unable to make the trip. However, Coach Madugu has moved swiftly to call up replacements for them”, disclosed Yusuf.
Meanwhile, Nigeria U-20 Girls’ ace forward Chioma Olise will take the place of US-based Echegini while Chiamaka Chukwu of Rivers Angels has been called up to take Oshoala’s place.
Midfield lynchpin Halimatu Ayinde, who missed the 2024 Olympics qualifying fixture against Ethiopia last month, is still out injured and forward Ifeoma Onumonu also requested to be left out, saying she was nursing an injury. Defender Michelle Alozie told the team administrator that she would be undergoing surgery.
Madugu has called up Portugal-based Peace Efih to once again fill the space vacated by Ayinde, while Rivers Angels’ midfielder Motunrayo Ezekiel will take the place of Christy Ucheibe, who is unable to travel to Nigeria from her base in Portugal.
The Super Falcons will host the first leg of the fixture against their counterparts from Cape Verde in Abuja on Thursday with the second leg scheduled for the Santiago-Estadio Nacional Blue Shark in Praia on Tuesday, 5 December.
