Francesca Ordega Joins Nigeria’s Female Soccer Legion In Spain

Super Falcons’ dazzler, Francesca Ordega has become the latest member of Nigeria’s female national team to sign for a club in Spain, as the Benue State-born lass will now ply her trade with Levante UD Femenino, megasportsarena.com reports.

Nigeria’s image in Spain is already being raised aloft by the like of Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Chidinma Okeke and a couple of others, who will now be joined by Ordega, after the three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup star (2011, 2015 and 2019) put pen to paper on a deal that will run until the end of the 2020/21 season.

The 27-year-old winger’s deal includes a proviso or an additional two years, with the contract bound to keep her at Levante until June 2023, during which time she will compete with highly-rated Spanish-Nigerian teenager, Andrea Okene Bañón for one of the team’s attacking spots.

Incidentally, it is also a return to familiar terrain for Ordega, who has previous Spanish top-flight experience under her boots, having played for Atlético de Madrid in the 2017/18 season, with a total of eight games for her in the Primera Iberdrola.

The former Bayelsa Queens of Yenagoa, River Angels of Port Harcourt, Rossinyaka of Russia, Pitea of Sweden, Washington Spirit of United States, Sydney FC of Australia and Shanghai Shenhua of China lass will now aim to hit the ground running with Levante, who are currently second on the log and host Sevilla on Sunday.

Ordega will now play in the Spanish women’s league that already has heavy Nigerian presence in Andrea Okene (Levante), Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona), Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid), Osinachi Ohale, Rita Chikwelu, Chidinma Okeke (Madrid CFF), Tony Payne (Sevilla) and Charity Adule (Eibar).

Back in December 2016, Ordega became the first African to play in the Australian Westfield W-League when she joined Sydney FC on loan, before which she scored once in helping Nigeria win an eighth Africa Women’s Cup of Nations title.

After making Ordega the ninth Nigerian in the Spanish women’s top-flight division, the Spanish Iberdrola side stated: “The Levente UD Femino and Francesca Ordega reach an agreement for their incorporation into the granola set. The forward will wear Blaugrana for the remainder of the season and two more.”