Nigeria’s female youth national team, Falconets flew out of Abuja on Wednesday to Douala, Cameroon, where they will battle Central African Republic (CAR) in the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup qualifiers.
Megasportsarena.com reports that the encounter will come up this Saturday in Cameroon because Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not approved any stadium or facility in Central African Republic to host an international match.
That has forced the country’s national teams to adopt another country as their temporary home ground and their female youth squad will now host the Falconets at the same venue where their male team played Cape Verde on Day 1 of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which ended 1-1.
CAR and Nigeria will now tango in Douala on Saturday, in what would be a dress rehearsal of the clash of both country’s senior male teams in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, ahead of which all eyes for now will be on how the Falconets will hold their own adequately.
The team, again being handled by Christopher Danjuma, have played in every edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched in 2022 as an U19 tournament in Canada.
The Falconets won silver at Germany 2010 and Canada 2014 in Canada, but were losing semi finalists at Japan 2012, such that Danjuma, who has picked 23 players to prosecute Saturday’s game, will aim to take Nigeria all the way at next year’s competition in Costa Rica.
Danjuma has fine tuned his tactics with camping of his squad in Abuja and he will now hope his players will be able to implement all he has taught them, as they go out against the girls from Central African Republic, who reached this stage after Equatorial Guinea withdrew last month.
Heading into Saturday’s encounter at Stade Japoma de Douala, starting at 3pm Cameroon time, the Falconets’ gaffer will be banking on top form from Ayomide Bakare, Monle Oyono, Inyene Etim, Oluwatosin Demehin, Omowunmi Oshobukola, Rofiat Imuran, Precious Vincent and Jumoke Alani.
Also in the squad are Angela Michael, Oluwabunmi Oladeji, Oluchi Ohaegbulem, Chidinma Ogbuchi, Rashidat Amoo, Deborah Abiodun, Philomena Yina, Anuoluwapo Salisu, Esther Onyenezide, Mercy Kalu, Joy Jerry, Chioma Sebastine, Taiwo Lawal, Mercy Idoko and Blessing Okpe.
