Paris 2024: Waldrum picks 18 foreign-based stars

Super Falcons Head Coach Randy Waldrum has picked 18 foreign-based stars in his final list of players for this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France even as he listed just two home-based players along with two-other overseas stars as alternative players.

Thee 67-year-old American coach actually selected eight players including captain Rasheedat Ajibade, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and defender Oluwatosin Demehin from European clubs while seven others including reigning Women’s African Footballer of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, were picked from North American clubs.

Only Saudi Arabia -based goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi was picked from the Middle East (West Asia) while the duo of defender Chidinma Okeke and striker Esther Okoronkwo were the only players picked from clubs in the Far East of Asia .

There are also defenders Osinachi Ohale , Oluwatosin Demehin and Michelle Alozie, midfielders Deborah Abiodun, Halimatu Ayinde, Christy Ucheibe and Toni Payne, and forwards Chinwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kanu.

Meanwhile, Squad members who are currently on holidays in Nigeria will join home-based players and team officials aboard an Air France flight from Abuja to Sevilla, Spain tonight, with the rest of the playing body and technical team also arriving in Sevilla tomorrow for a two-week training camp.

The team is scheduled to depart Sevilla for France on Thursday, July 18.

Nine-time African champions Nigeria, who are making their first appearance at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time since 2008 in China, will tackle Brazil, Spain and Japan, in that order, at this year’s tournament.

To qualify for the 12-team tournament, the Falcons edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 1-0, with a strike from the penalty spot in Abuja by Ajibade separating Africa’s top two teams over two legs in the month of April.

Their first game, against Brazil, comes up at the Stade Bordeaux on 25th July, before confrontations with Spain (28th July) and Japan (31st July).

Beaujoire in Nantes, where the Super Eagles famously defeated tournament favourites Spain 3-2 in a memorable game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals.

SUPER FALCONS FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia)

Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Portland Thorns FC, USA); Chidinma Okeke (Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan)

Midfielders: Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA); Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain)

Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (Changchun FC, China); Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA); Chiwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Chinonyerem Macleans (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia)

Alternate Players: Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals, USA); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain); Morufa Ademola (Rivers Angels)