Nigerian female national team, Super Falcons’ winger, Francisca Ordega has sealed yet another dramatic transfer, as the widely-travelled lass from Benue State has signed up with WFC CSKA Moscow of Russia, megasportsarena.com reports.
Information on offer from the East European country revealed that the women’s team of CSKA have formally announced their signing of the Nigerian international, but the length of contract and financial details of the deal were not disclosed by the Muscovites.
Ordega makes the move to Moscow from Levante of Spain, despite having only recently joined the Spanish Premiera Iberdrola side in April on a two-year deal, following equally short spells in USA, China and Australia.
She has now returned to Russia, where she started her professional career and she is now hoping to excel once again, haven made only three appearances for Maria Pry’s team in Valencia.
The 27-year-old winger failed to stamp her authority with Los Che, as they romped to a third place finish in the league and earned runners-up spots in both the Super Cup and Taca de Liga, but she will now aim to replicate memories of her first step overseas in 2011 with Rossinyaka of Russia, after shinning with Bayelsa Queens of Yenagoa and Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt.
She later on moved on to play for Sweden’s Pitea, USA’s Washington Spirit, Australia’s Sydney FC, Spain’s Atletico Madrid, China’s Shanghai Shenhua and recently Spain’s Levante, making her the first African woman to play for clubs across five continents.
The fashion-conscious forward is now aiming to keep alive her dream of playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, as CSKA will compete in the continental championship, starting from next week Wednesday, August 18.
Now that she is back in the Russian top-flight eight years after she left the East European nation, Ordega is eager to make the best of her new deal that is expected to run until January 2024, as she put pen on a two-and-half-year deal.
Her arrival is also expected to boost the attacking line of coach Sergey Lavrentjev’s side, as they bid to reclaim the domestic title, ahead of which they currently lie in third place on the log with 34 points from 18 matches.
She becomes the second African star on the books of CSKA, after Cameroon forward, Gabrielle Onguene, and Ordega will look to make her long sought UWCL debut against Swansea City of Wales next midweek in Limassol, Cyprus.
On the national team stage, Ordega helped Nigeria win four African Women’s Cup of Nations titles (2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018), featured at three editions of FIFA Women’s World Cups (2011, 2015 and 2019) and she was nominated for African Women Footballer of The Year twice.
Ordega apparently caught the eye of CSKA after excelling in action for the Super Falcons against the Russian club in an invitational tournament played in Alanya, Turkey earlier this year, and the Moscow side have now gleefully announced her arrival via their social media handle.
The Russian Army-owned club’s statement read: “Francisca Ordega became a WFC CSKA player! Nigerian forward signed a contract with our club! Welcome to the Reb-Blue Family, Francisca!”
