26th October, 2012
ADEBOBOLA ALAWODE
Super Falcons head coach, Kadiri Ikhana, has named the 21 players that will represent Nigeria at the 8th African Women’s Championship (AWC).
The coach travelled to Accra, Ghana on a training camp with 23 players and has dropped 2 in compliance with CAF’s rules on number of players to be registered for the tournament.
Affected players are Rivers Angels defender Gloria Ofoegbu, and Tawa Ishola, a midfielder of Sunshine Queens of Akure.Both players exited the Falcons Lizzy Sports Complex camp, in Accra, on Wednesday evening after the selection was made.
Ofoegbu, who was the captain of the U20 team (Falconets) in Japan earlier in the year, expressed her disappointment but wished the team success in the AWC competition.“I am disappointed that I did not make team. I respect the coach’s decision and I wish the team success in the competition.”She added: “I have been in camp with my teammates for over five weeks now and I know how good they are and how hard they have worked. I know they will return home with the trophy.”
Ikhana had some words of encouragement for the two players saying,“Ofoegbu and Tawa are very good players but I can only take 21 players to the tournament. They did very well to make it to this stage and I want to encourage them to continue working hard.”
FULL LIST:GOALKEEPERS: Precious Dede (Bayelsa Queens), Tochukwu Oluehi (Sunshine Queens), Ebubele Whyte (Rivers Angels).
DEFENDERS: Evelyn Nwabuoku (Rivers Angels), Helen Ukaonu (Sunnana SK), Joy Jegede (Delta Queens), Ebere Ngozi (Rivers Angels), Onome Ebi (Attesihir Belediyesi, Turkey), Gladys Akpa (Sunshine Queens), Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels).
MIDFIELDERS: Onyinyechi Ohagugha (Rivers Angels), Stella Mbachu (Rivers Angels), Esther Sunday (Sunshine Queens), Ogonna Chukwudi (Umea IK, Sweden), Glory Iroka (Rivers Angels), Rita Chikwelu (Umea IK).
FORWARDS: Azizat Oshoala (Rivers Angels), Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens), Ebere Orji (Rivers Angels), Emueje Ogbiagbveha (BIK, Kazakhstan), Perpetua Nkwocha (Sunnana SK, Sweden).
Equatorial Guinea hosts the 8th edition of The African Women’s Championship from the 28 October to 11 November 2012.