Former Super Eagles’ fringe player, Peter Ijeh will take delight in seeing his daughters on the verge of getting their international breakthrough, as they have both been invited to Nigeria’s female national team, Super Falcons, megasportsarena.com reports.
Ijeh’s daughters, Josephine and Evelyn, are in a list of 26 players invited by Falcons’ coach, Randy Waldrum for camping ahead of the maiden Aisha Buhari Women’s Invitational Competition in Lagos, for which the Nigerian squad opened camp in Vienna, Austria in midweek.
The Ijeh sisters get debut invitations alongside Leicester City of England rising star, Megan Ashleigh; while Dijon of France forward, Desire Oparanozie gets a recall with Ebere Orji in preparation for the inaugural Aisha Buhari Cup.
The team’s 27-year-old former captain, Oparanozie was axed from the team after the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but she has been recalled along with England-based forward, Ini-Abasi Umotong gets a return to the fold, after she last played for the team before that tournament in France.
The gaffer, though, left out current captain, Asisat Oshoala, experienced centre back Onome Ebi and battling midfielder Halimatu Ayinde, but he extended invitations to some of USA-born lasses that had their first caps for the team at the US Summer Series in the State of Texas.
Michelle Alozie, Nicole Payne and Swiss-born Onyinyechi Zogg retained their places, while Watford’s Mowaninuola ‘Niniola’ Dada and Leicester City’s Megan Ashleigh were invited, as the nine-time African champions get their third gathering of this year.
It comes after three-wins-out-three at the Turkish Women’s Cup in February and two defeats plus one draw at the UWNT Summer Series in the USA last month, as the countdown gets tighter towards the Aisha Buhari Cup, which Waldrum’s players hope to clinch on home soil.
The roster also has Paris FC of France goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Osinachi Ohale, midfield impresario Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene and forward Uchenna Kanu, who all missed the tour of USA for one reason or the other.
The full roster has four goalkeepers: Tochukwu Oluehi (CD Pozoalbense, Spain); Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Patience Okeke (Bayelsa Queens, Yenagoa); and Yewande Balogun (California Storm, USA); as well as four midfielders: Rita Chikwelu (Madrid CFF, Spain); Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene (Eskilstuna United, Sweden); Toni Payne (Sevilla, Spain); and Mowaninuola Dada (Watford, England).
Also included are nine defenders: Glory Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Osinachi Ohale (Madrid CFF, Spain); Esther Ogbonna (Edo Queens); Chidinma Okeke (Madrid CFF, Spain); Onyinyechi Zogg (FC Zurich, Switzerland); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash Reserves, USA); Megan Ashleigh (Leicester City, England); and Josephine Ijeh (BK Hacken, Sweden)
Completing the roll call are nine forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Francisca Ordega (Levante, Spain); Gift Monday (FC Robo Queens); Joy Bokiri (Bayelsa Queens, Yenagoa); Uchenna Kanu (Linkopings FC, Sweden); Ebere Orji (Sundsvall DFF, Sweden); Ini-Abasi Umotong (Lewes FC, England); Evelyn Ijeh (BK Hacken, Sweden); and Desire Oparanozie (FC Dijon, France).
